Philadelphia Workers’ Comp Lawyer for Food Service Workers

The food service industry is one of the biggest employers in Philadelphia and across the Commonwealth, with many workers facing a potential for injury on the job.  Whether you work in Philly or live in Philly and commute out for work, our lawyers can help you file claims if you were injured on the job.

Many injuries in the food service industry are small and might only interrupt your ability to work for a day or two.  However, any time you need medical care because of an accident at work, Workers’ Comp is supposed to cover it, and our attorneys can fight to make that happen.  If your injuries are quite serious and keep you from work for an extended period, then you definitely should seek help from our lawyers.

For a free review of your injury case, call the Certified Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation attorneys at Cardamone Law at (267) 651-7945.

Common Food Service Workers Our Workers’ Comp Specialists Can Help

Food service encompasses a lot of different workers at various establishments.  Keep in mind that most of these workers are covered by Workers’ Compensation, as they are normal “employees” as compared to “independent contractors.”  There are a few exceptions, but otherwise, our Bensalem, PA Workers’ Comp lawyers should be able to fight for coverage if you get hurt while working many of these positions:

Cooks/Chefs

You cannot have food without the cooks, but they often face the biggest risk of injury on the job.  Cooks face cuts, burns, and other smaller injuries all the time, and these often are not enough to get them time off work.  However, serious burns and deep cuts fare quite differently, potentially leading to serious injuries, along with the possibility of other serious injuries we will discuss below.

Dishwashers

Scalding from hot water might not be enough to cause you to need medical care and time off work, but the same cannot be said for deep cuts from broken glass and other serious injuries a dishwasher might face.

Servers/Waiters/Runners and Bartenders

Handling dishes and interacting with customers might not seem as dangerous as using knives or deep fat fryers, but servers get hurt all the time in restaurants.  Servers are the ones on the move, and thus most at risk of slip and fall injuries.  There is also the risk of serious injuries from grabbing a broken glass or even the possibility of violence from customers.  Violence and assault are especially common issues for bartenders.

Other Workers

Many other workers, from maintenance workers to technicians – especially those working for massive chain restaurants and fast food restaurants – often face tough job conditions and should be covered for any injuries they face during their work.

Chef Owners

The business end of food service often sees chefs being involved in the ownership of the business.  Workers’ Compensation is not always available for the owner of the business, so you might not qualify if that is your situation.

Delivery Drivers

If you work as an employee at a restaurant, you might be covered by Workers’ Comp, potentially covering you for accidents in the restaurant or crashes on your way to or from a delivery.  However, if you work as a contractor or for a delivery app, you might be an independent contractor with no Workers’ Comp coverage.

Common Injuries in the Restaurant and Fast Food Industry in Philly

Whether you work in a traditional restaurant, a fast-casual restaurant, a fast food restaurant, a bar, a hotel, or even a snack stand at a sports venue, your work-related injuries could be severe.  The following might not apply to each and every food service worker, but these are all common injuries our lawyers can help you seek Workers’ Comp benefits for after a serious injury:

Burns

Ovens, fryers, pots, and pans can get extremely hot.  In most commercial kitchens, the oil in a fryer stays hot all day, but it still needs to be cleaned and disposed of.  This is one of the biggest dangers that could cause serious burns up and down your arms, on your chest, or even on your face during a spill.  Boiling water is also potentially extremely dangerous, as is the steam that comes off of hot dishes, pressure cookers, and other cooking tools.

While many burns are not going to be severe enough to need medical care, any care you do need should be covered.  If your injuries keep you from returning to work for an extended period or require you to take a position away from the heat while you recover, you should be entitled to replacement wages, too.

Slip and Fall Injuries

Especially during a packed dinner rush, the last thing on food service workers’ minds is usually the floor.  Safety training should require everyone working in a kitchen or restaurant to wear non-slip shoes but spilled oil and food can easily create slipping hazards that take down even the most stable servers or cooks.  You could hit your head, break a bone, sprain something, or suffer other injuries that might require medical care and time away from work, resulting in Workers’ Comp benefits.

Injuries from Falling Items

Pots, plates, dry goods on a high shelf, and food on the top shelf of a walk-in refrigerator could all fall on you, potentially causing serious injuries.  Kitchen staff are not typically known for wearing safety gear like hard hats, and a heavy-bottomed pot or pan to the head could knock you out and potentially cause serious underlying injuries in the subsequent fall.  Other things like cans and a cascade of falling plates could also cause serious injuries, either from the items falling on you or injuries during clean up.

Cuts

Knives, mandolins, broken plates and glasses, sharp edges on cans, and other dangerous conditions in food service can cause cuts that might ruin your night, but most workers are expected to bandage up their wounds and get back to work.  If your injury is serious, this would be ludicrous; always seek medical care when needed, and know that it should be covered by Workers’ Comp – especially if you face a very serious injury like impalement from a broken glass or a knife.

Call Our Workers’ Compensation Lawyers for Food Service Workers in Philadelphia Today

If you were hurt at work in a kitchen or restaurant, call our Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp lawyers today at Cardamone Law at (267) 651-7945 to get a free review of your injury case.