Covington Township Workers’ Comp Attorney for Injured Amazon Workers

Workers at Amazon facilities in Covington Township and other nearby areas are often entitled to Workers’ Compensation after an accident at work.  However, Amazon and their insurance carriers might be reluctant to accept your claim and pay you what you are owed.

Working with our Workers’ Comp attorneys can help get you the compensation and other benefits needed after a work injury.  Our lawyers have experience to put to work in your case and fight against even the biggest employers in the country, like Amazon.

For a free review of your potential case, contact our Covington Township, PA Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialists today at Cardamone Law by calling (267) 651-7945.

Types of Amazon Workers Eligible for Workers’ Compensation in Covington, PA

Amazon employs many workers in different parts of their business.  From managers and facilities upkeep to warehouse workers and order pickers to delivery drivers and package handlers, different types of employees might have different access to Workers’ Comp as Amazon workers.

If you are an actual “employee” at Amazon, then our Workers’ Comp attorneys for injured Amazon workers can likely help you with a Workers’ Comp claim.  In Pennsylvania, Workers’ Comp is only required to cover employees, i.e., people who have the time, place, and manner of their work controlled by their employer.  This leaves out “independent contractors,” who are usually paid with a 1099 instead of a W-2 and who are left to do their work at their own pace.

This usually means that coverage applies to people like managers, trainers, janitors, warehouse workers, order pickers, loaders, and others who are employed directly by Amazon at facilities like AVP3 in Covington.  It also usually counts out drivers or package handlers who are deemed independent contractors.  However, many of these drivers will work for a third-party company instead and might be covered by Workers’ Comp through that employer instead of Amazon.

If you have any questions or doubts about whether you are covered, our lawyers can help look into your employment arrangement and determine whether you should be covered.  Many workers might have their claims rejected on the grounds that they should not be covered based on their status, but Amazon could potentially be accused of improperly classifying workers to deny Workers’ Comp coverage and other benefits unfairly.  Do not accept a denial as accurate without speaking to our lawyers about whether you should be covered.

Injuries on Prime Day at Amazon Facilities in Covington, PA

A recent Senate report and news stories have uncovered data and evidence that Prime Day – Amazon’s annual sales event – contributes to “extremely unsafe conditions” and, in 2019, saw “over 10 injuries per 100 workers,” doubling the industry average.

The rush and increased volume during Prime Day – and likely during other sales seasons like Black Friday – can result in so many injuries that reports show almost half of all workers at warehouses reporting at least some kind of injury.  These injuries often come down to ignored safety guidelines, packages falling off of overloaded belts, overridden/missing jam-stopping features, and a singular focus on shipping packages over worker safety.

Common Injuries for Amazon Workers in Covington, PA

Common injuries in Amazon warehouses can be attributed to the everyday pressures of the job – often made worse during Prime Day, Black Friday, and other sales seasons.

In the heat of the summer, heat stroke, dehydration, and lack of breaks can take a huge toll on workers.  While this might result in acute injuries, it might not always lead to long-term injuries or disabilities unless it creates a flare-up of an existing condition, such as heart conditions.

Lifting, carrying, and moving packages and warehouse stock can also take a toll on the body.  Back injuries are a common work injury overall, potentially resulting in lost work time and expensive therapy and rehabilitation needs.

On top of this, people can be injured from vehicle accidents involving trucks or forklifts, slip and falls, falls from ladders and high places, shelving collapses, items being dropped on them, and many other potential causes.

For workers outside of a warehouse – such as delivery drivers hired directly by Amazon – auto accidents and other lifting and carrying injuries are some of the most common.  However, workers could also be bitten by dogs while delivering packages, suffer slip and falls on icy sidewalks, and suffer other injuries in the course of their deliveries.  However, most delivery workers are not employed directly by Amazon and might not be eligible for Workers’ Comp.

Benefits Paid to Injured Amazon Workers in Covington, PA

Workers’ Compensation is the main way for injured workers to get payments for their injuries in Pennsylvania.  Amazon is required to cover injuries for nearly any work-related injury, including coverage for all medical treatment and compensation for lost earning potential while the worker is recovering from the injury.

Qualifying Injuries

Many of the specific types of injuries discussed above will qualify for Workers’ Comp.  The core requirement is that the injury happened in the course of your work for Amazon to have to cover it.  This can include all kinds of accidents, no matter who caused them.

There is no fault requirement, meaning that you do not need to prove that Amazon made mistakes or ignored safety requirements to cause your injury; true “freak accidents” are covered the same as accidents where there was clear negligence or recklessness involved.

Because Workers’ Comp does not consider fault a factor, coverage should also be provided when the worker is the one who caused their own accident.  The exception to this is when accidents occur because of intentional actions or the workers’ intoxication or drug use.  Those injuries cannot be covered.

Medical Bills

All medical bills are to be covered after an accident, including compensation for your emergency care, follow-up visits, medication, medical devices, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and more.  This should be covered even if the accident does not cause you to miss work on an ongoing basis.

Lost Earnings

If you do miss work, wage-loss benefits should be paid for any injury that keeps you from working for more than 7 days.  If the injury keeps you out of work over 14 days, the first 7 days are also paid retroactively.

The rate of wage-loss compensation is usually 2/3 of your normal wages, though low-wage earners can get a max of 90% of their lost wages depending on their actual wage amount.

In many cases of amputation or permanent loss of function, additional “specific loss” damages are paid, too.

Call Our Workers’ Comp Attorneys for Injured Amazon Workers in Covington, PA

Call Cardamone Law’s Workers’ Comp lawyers for injured Amazon workers today at (267) 651-7945 for a free review of your injury case.