Needle Stick Injury Facts

It is estimated that between 600,000 - 800,000 Needle Stick injuries occur annually that involve contaminated needles. Others estimate that a Needle Stick injury is reported every 30 seconds, which means that there are over 1 million such cases per year.

Each year, 12,000 healthcare workers contract Hepatitis; 18,000 are infected with Hepatitis, HIV, and other blood-borne diseases; and up to 300 of them die, as a result of an accidental Needle Stick. In fact, 89% of the healthcare workers who have HIV-AIDS and Hepatitis contracted the deadly disease due to an accidental Needle Stick; 86% of all occupationally related infectious disease transmissions result from accidental Needle Sticks.

Diseases resulting from Needle Sticks: Hepatitis (all types); AIDS; as well as other bloodborne bacteria and viruses: Diphtheria, Typhus, Herpes, Malaria, HIV, Tuberculosis, Spotted Fever, Syphilis and Gonorrhea.

Studies show that nurses sustain the majority of these injuries and that as many as one-third of all sharps injuries have been reported to be related to the disposal process. The CDC estimates that 62 to 88 percent of sharps injuries can potentially be prevented by the use of safer medical devices. Needle Stick injuries and other sharps-related injuries, that result in occupational bloodborne pathogens exposure, continue to be an important public health concern. In response to this situation, Congress passed the Needle Stick Safety and Prevention Act that became law on November 6, 2000. To meet the requirements of this act OSHA has revised its Bloodborne Pathogen Standard.

If you or a loved one has been injured and infected as a result of a Needle Stick accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact us here