Anne-Célia Disdier (Paris School of Economics – INRAE)
This study examines the impact of occupational accidents (workplace accidents, commuting accidents, and occupational illnesses) on victims’ medical expenses, beyond those directly attributable to the initial accident. Using the Hygie database for the period 2005–2015 and applying recent methods for estimating treatment effects, we highlight the existence of substantial indirect costs. Our results show that a workplace accident leads to an average increase of €130 per year per victim in medical expenses unrelated to the accident, representing an estimated induced cost of around €3.2 billion over the period studied. The effects are particularly pronounced among women, older workers, and individuals with modest incomes. These results suggest that occupational accidents lead to persistent health vulnerability, which remains underestimated, leading to an underestimation of the total social cost of occupational risks.