Sheetz workers can be injured in a number of ways on the job, and Sheetz is supposed to take care of you if and when those injuries happen. Getting Workers’ Compensation can be a complex process, and it often takes a lawyer to help ensure you file properly and are set up for success.
You start a Workers’ Comp claim by filing notice of your injury with your employer. Sheetz will then contact its Workers’ Comp insurance carrier to process the claim, and if they deny it, they will notify you within 21 days. From there, you can file before a Workers’ Comp Judge.
For help with your case, call Cardamone Law’s Certified Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Lawyers today at (267) 651-7945.
How to File a Workers’ Comp Claim at Sheetz
Claims have a few steps and stages, but the actual filing process typically happens in two stages:
Initial Claim with Employer
You file your initial claim by notifying your employer of the injuries you faced, and then they file a claim with their insurance carrier. The insurance carrier works for your employer, and they will come together to make a determination about your claim.
- Deadline: You have to provide notice of the injury within 21 days (though you can technically go up to 120 days).
- How to File: You may need to fill out forms or provide notice to a particular office, e.g., the human resources department.
- What Do I Need? At this stage, you may need to submit medical records from your treatment, along with a statement about what happened, when it happened, and what you were doing when you got hurt, plus how it affects your wages.
Claim Petition
Once the claim is denied, your case is not over. You can file a Claim Petition with the state through the Workers’ Comp Office of Adjudication (WCOA) within the Department of Labor and Industry. The WCOA will then appoint a Workers’ Comp Judge (WCJ) to hold hearings, accept evidence, and decide the case.
- Deadline: This Petition is filed within 3 years of the initial injury, but you typically have to wait until your employer denies your claim. They get 21 days to issue a denial after your initial filing.
- How to File: The Claim Petition is a form you can find on the WCOA website. You need to serve your employer with a copy and submit the form to the WCOA.
- What Do I Need? This form requires details about the accident and how it happened, details about the wages you are missing, and other information about your injuries. It is best to work with a Workers’ Comp lawyer to provide as much evidence as you can, attach exhibits as necessary, and avoid any errors that could hold up your claim.
What Sheetz Workers Qualify for Workers’ Comp?
Workers’ Comp only covers employees, not independent contractors, but that broadly means coverage for most employees at Sheetz:
- Cashiers
- Gas attendants
- Food workers
- Stockers
- Cleaners
- Managers
People who work with Sheetz – such as suppliers and delivery drivers – might work for other companies, while some truckers do work for Sheetz. Delivery drivers for food orders often work through third-party apps, e.g., DoorDash, and would not typically be covered under Sheetz’s Workers’ Comp.
FAQs for Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim Against Sheetz in Pennsylvania
Does it Matter if I Live in Another State?
If you work at Sheetz in Pennsylvania and you were injured while working, then your claim should typically be filed in Pennsylvania. This is typically true even if you live across the border in another state.
What Injuries Are Covered?
Workers’ Comp covers medical care for any work-related injuries, meaning that it does not typically matter how the accident happened, as long as it happened while working. This can cover things like repetitive stress injuries, back injuries, serious cuts, broken bones, and more.
Wage-loss benefits are covered in a Workers’ Comp claim if the injury kept you from work for at least 7 days and continues to affect your wages by causing you a disability.
Do I Need a Lawyer to File for Workers’ Comp?
Your lawyer can help ensure that you are not missing information that should be provided in your filings, and we can help eliminate mistakes or misunderstandings that could lead to denials. There are also stages later in the case – such as evidence collection – where you might not be able to afford the up-front costs of depositions and medical exams. Our lawyers are financially leveraged to cover these expenses and get reimbursed when we win your case.
Plus, big companies like Sheetz and their insurance carriers are going to have lawyers, so get a lawyer of your own. Especially if your injuries are so severe that you cannot work, you cannot be expected to handle the job of being your own lawyer on top of that.
When Do I File?
Your initial claim should be filed within 21 days of your injury, but you can potentially still file as long as you give notice within 120 days of the accident.
After your claim is denied, you must file your Claim Petition within 3 years of the accident.
Is Workplace Violence Covered by Sheetz’s Workers’ Comp?
Even if someone else causes your injuries, your employer still has to cover the injuries that are work-related. If you were assaulted by a customer or shot by a robber while working, then those injuries should still be covered. Assault or attacks by coworkers should also be paid for.
How Long Does it Take to Get a Claim Approved?
If your initial claim is approved, that typically happens within 21 days of your initial notice. Your employer may also extend their decision deadline by 90 days by granting you temporary benefits.
If they deny you and you file a Claim Petition, it can take anywhere from a few months to around a year for the claim to settle. If they refuse to settle, a full hearing can take more than a year.
Can You Sue for Injuries at Sheetz?
Workers’ Comp stops you from suing your employer for work-related injuries, but you can sue other parties, such as a negligent supplier, a driver who hit you, or the manufacturer of defective equipment used in the kitchen.
Call Our Workers’ Comp Lawyers in Pennsylvania for Help Today
Call Cardamone Law’s Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation attorneys for help with your case by dialing (267) 651-7945.
