OAKLAND, CA – June 02, 2026 – A counter-intuitive reality is unfolding for California's largest businesses. New data reveals that while workplace injury claims have fallen to a five-year low, the financial toll of each claim is skyrocketing, creating a significant and unexpected strain on the companies that self-insure their workers' compensation liabilities...

This phenomenon is not confined to the private self-insured sector. It is a systemic issue impacting the entire California workers' compensation landscape. Data from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) shows that total costs per claim for all lost-time injuries in the state grew 6% in 2025, with medical payments per claim climbing 7%. This confirms that escalating medical severity is a broad-based trend.

Read the full article here.  The data in the second paragraph comes from CompScope™ Benchmarks for California, 2026 Edition.  Visit its page on our website for more information, including on how to download a copy!