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Florida's Workers' Comp Lawyer | 25 Years Of Experience
Online shopping has exploded over the past several years, with a 43 percent increase in a recent year over the previous one and e-commerce swelling to 244.2 billion dollars, according to data published by the U.S. Census Bureau. All those goods are stored, picked, packed, and shipped by America’s warehouse workers, who are the foundation of e-commerce success.
But with success comes danger. In the same year e-commerce exploded the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 2.7 million warehouse workers were injured or fell ill, sadly, with 21 fatalities also reported. If you work in a warehouse, you might strain your back from lifting heavy boxes, fall, or become injured from operating pickers and other heavy equipment. If you are hurt on the job, Clearwater warehouse injury lawyer Kevin A. Moore can help you get the benefits you need to move forward.
There are recurring accidents that warehouse workers experience, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). The most common are from forklifts, chemicals, and electrical wiring, However, other prevalent accidents include:
Warehouse workers subjected to hazards that lead to injuries can land in the hospital temporarily or permanently disabled. These situations are exactly what workers’ compensation is meant to rectify. Clearwater warehouse injury attorney Kevin A. Moore can take care of your application and follow up with insurer’s or administrator’s questions to get you the benefits you are entitled to while you recover from your injuries.
Florida has laws in place requiring almost all employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance or self-insure to pay employees if they are hurt on the job. Benefits include covering medical care for injuries and paying a portion of lost wages while the employee recovers on disability.
Workers’ compensation does not factor blame into paying claims. This means if a warehouse employee or employer makes a mistake at work, it will not factor into the approval or denial of benefits. However, under Florida Statutes § 440.09(3), employees who are intoxicated or high at work when an accident occurs can be denied benefits.
In Florida, once injured workers are away from work for seven days, they are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits that include medical care for any treatment related to the work injury, prescription medications, lab work, and travel miles to related treatment appointments.
After you are away from work for 21 days, you may qualify for temporary disability payments, generally two-thirds of your wages, conditional on whether you can perform light duty, based on a physician’s report. If a physician determines you will not fully recover from your injury, and that it is permanent and disabling, you can seek permanent disability status. You may be eligible for retraining, which is also covered under workers’ compensation benefits. Families of warehouse workers killed on the job are entitled to death benefits.
To prevail in a claim, you must show the injury is work-related or accrues over time, such as lifting and rearranging heavy boxes systematically throughout the shift and, over time, developing shoulder and back injuries. Our Clearwater warehouse injury attorney Kevin A. Moore has years of experience in the workers’ compensation system and we know how best to secure your benefits while you work on regaining your health.
Warehouse workers continue to contribute positively to the burgeoning e-commerce market, but the downside is the dangerous conditions present in the workplace. Fortunately, Florida requires businesses to provide workers’ compensation benefits to employees injured on the job.
While you are adjusting to life with injuries, there are deadlines to meet and evidence to submit. Missing a filing deadline sets your case back, impacting when your check arrives. A Clearwater warehouse injury lawyer can help you apply for benefits and follow through until you get them. Consider working with attorney Kevin A. Moore to secure your benefits.
