Have you been injured in a
Walmart Warehouse/Distribution Center Injuries
Your Rights Explained After Walmart Warehouse/Distribution Center Injuries: Workers’ Compensation Lawyers in Philadelphia, PA
Workplace injuries and work-related illnesses can occur anywhere, including in some of the largest retailers in the United States. Out of all retailers, Walmart particularly has a pretty troubling record. According to studies, Walmart workers had 5.9 serious injuries per 100 employees which is almost 80% higher than other businesses in the same industry. The study also noted that Walmart warehouse injuries and Walmart distribution center injuries are not only occurring more often, but are also more serious personal injuries. While an accident at work may result in compensation, sometimes a warehouse injury claim does not fairly compensate a victim. If you were injured in a workplace accident, call our workers’ compensation lawyers in Philadelphia, PA for help.
Our experienced team at Larry Pitt & Associates can ensure that you recover the maximum workers’ compensation benefits you may be entitled to under Pennsylvania law for medical bills and lost wages. We will not let large corporations like Walmart hide behind a WC carrier to undermine or minimize your benefits. If you have an accident at work claim against Walmart, our workers’ compensation attorneys can help you recover the warehouse injury compensation that you deserve.
Why Walmart Warehouse/Distribution Center Injuries Happen
Walmart now has over 50 warehouses in the Philadelphia region, some as large as professional football fields and just as busy too. Many of these warehouses and distribution centers contain a large variety of products meant to cover a certain geographical area, while other facilities carry larger or more difficult equipment to delivery such as workout equipment and furniture.
What makes these Walmart warehouses and distribution centers more dangerous than other facilities is the way speed that Walmart requires products to be shipped combined with the sheer volume of business. This forces workers to run up and down aisles looking for products to bring back to packagers. It also means that some safety issues are often ignored to save time, such as product slips that there is not time to clean up.
Other reasons for a workplace injury in a Walmart facility is that some products are very large and heavy, mixed in with other products. This means that a worker make be ill-equipped or not properly supported/suited for lifting workout equipment or other heavy furniture. These are recipes for a serious workplace accident.
Common Walmart Warehouse or Walmart Distribution Center Injuries
Our workers’ compensation lawyers in Philadelphia, PA know that there are many possible injuries that could be caused in a warehouse or distribution center like at Walmart. Some of these injuries may require workers to have surgery or go to physical therapy/occupational therapy. Some of the most common injuries that could occur at a Walmart warehouse or Walmart distribution center include the following:
- Brain injuries (TBIs)
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
- Knee injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Back injuries like slipped discs or herniations
- Neck injuries including herniations
- Paraplegia or quadriplegia
- Loss of a limb or amputations
- Fall injuries
- Ankle injuries, and
- Many other serious injuries that our workers’ compensation attorney in Philadelphia, PA can help you recover warehouse injury compensation.
How Does Workers’ Compensation Work in Pennsylvania After a Walmart Warehouse Injury?
A workplace accident resulting in a workplace injury or related illness will usually be covered by workers’ compensation. This is an important benefits system for employees which compensates them for medical bills and lost wages without having to prove fault. Rather, all a worker has to prove is that the injury or illness is related to employment. This is why workers’ compensation is called a “no-fault” system.
In exchange for this no-fault system of benefits, workers elect this to be their “exclusive remedy,” meaning that workers are not allowed to sue their employers or coworkers except in rare instances. It is important to realize that, in some types of workplace accidents, workers may be entitled to sue a third-party. An example would be when a third-party truck driver backs into a warehouse worker.
Will I Get Periodic Payments or a Lump Sum?
Generally, most workers’ compensation benefits are paid in installments. This means that you will receive regular benefits checks which are for your medical bills and about two-thirds of your wages. You will have to be assessed and re-assessed by a healthcare provider who will determine your level of disability, percentage of loss, and when you may return to work.
In instances where an individual is out of work for a prolonged period of time after a Walmart warehouse accident or Walmart distribution center accident, there may be a lump some workers’ compensation settlement. This is not common, but it does happen when victims face a long recovery and may need money upfront for costly surgeries or home/vehicle modifications. A victim will obtain a single check for the entire amount of what the regular payments would have been, for a designated period of time. This could be until the worker may be deemed able to go back to work, or when the worker may be determine to have naturally retired.
Can I Recover Workers’ Compensation Benefits and Social Security?
Yes, individuals hurt in a Walmart warehouse/distribution center accident who have a valid warehouse injury claim may be able to recover both workers’ compensation benefits and Social Security benefits. However, there is an offset for Social Security benefits which means that an individual will typically not receive the full SSI/SSDI benefits that he or she normally would have been entitled to if workers’ compensation benefits were also not being paid.
Injured in a Walmart Workplace Accident? Ask Our Workers’ Compensation Attorneys in Philadelphia, PA for Help
Walmart is an intimidating employer when it comes to having to submit workers’ compensation claims, especially if you believe the WC adjuster or doctor is not fairly measuring your level of disability or offering you fair compensation. This is why you need an experienced and skilled workers’ comp law firm on your side to ensure your rights are protected against this retail giant.
Our workers’ compensation lawyers in Philadelphia, PA at Larry Pitt & Associates have over 40 years of experience protecting the rights of workplace injury victims throughout Pennsylvania. If you have been seriously injured while working for Walmart, you may be entitled to warehouse injury compensation. Call (888)-PITT-LAW or (877) 748-8539, or send us a message on our easy-to-use contact us box available here to schedule your FREE consultation to learn what tat compensation may be and how we can help.
