Injured Amazon Workers

Amazon is the most valuable retailer in the world. As with other major employers, there are many Amazon workers who suffer workplace accidents or injuries. In some instances, workers lose work or otherwise face retaliation for bringing a workers’ compensation claim. If you are an injured Amazon worker, you can consult an experienced Chicago workers’ compensation attorney regarding your legal rights. We may be able to represent you in a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. Under certain circumstances, such as after a vehicle accident, we can also potentially represent you in a third party claim.

There are a number of risks with which you may be confronted when working in a warehouse or driving a delivery vehicle. Productivity and efficiency may be valued over worker safety. Often workers are injured due to overexertion or accidents. They may be forced to work beyond their physical ability and faster than is safe. They may need to rush to meet a delivery deadline and suffer injuries as a result of rushing. Injuries may be sustained due to fatigue and exhaustion. Under other circumstances, Amazon workers may face repetitive motion injuries.

Work injuries can also be the result of slip and falls, falling objects, truck accidents, forklift accidents, equipment failure, poorly lit areas, spilled inventory, or heavy manual lifting. Injuries may also be sustained where company-issued equipment is not effective.

You should not be retaliated against for notifying Amazon of your work-related injuries. If you are punished or treated adversely because you bring a workers’ compensation claim, it is advisable to seek help from an experienced attorney.

There are a range of benefits to which you may be entitled if you are injured on the job and can prove an employment relationship. These include reasonable medical care, temporary disability benefits, permanent disability benefits, and vocational rehabilitation. These benefits aren’t taxable. Certain family members of Amazon employees who pass away as a result of work-related injuries may be entitled to death benefits.

Both temporary and permanent disability benefits can be partial or total. Temporary disability benefits amount to 66 2/3% of an injured Amazon worker’s average weekly wage up to the state-mandated maximum. You will only get these benefits once you’ve missed three days of work, unless you miss more than 14 days of work. In that case, the first three days of lost wages are paid also. Permanent disability benefits can be calculated in several different ways. It may be calculated as a scheduled loss, unscheduled loss, or according to a wage differential. It can also be calculated as a disfigurement benefit.

Workers’ compensation benefits only provide compensation for a worker’s economic losses. In cases involving serious or catastrophic injuries they may not address the full scope of your losses. These benefits may be less than what would be awarded in a personal injury action; however, you need not prove fault in a workers’ compensation claim.

If you are injured in a vehicle accident while on the job, you may be able to bring a third party claim rather than only pursue workers’ compensation benefits. For example, if you are in the warehouse or on the road and struck by a vehicle driven by someone not employed by Amazon, and become paralyzed as a result, you may be able to bring a third party lawsuit against the driver. While workers’ compensation benefits are limited to economic losses, it may be possible to recover pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of consortium, and loss of enjoyment through a personal injury lawsuit.

Amazon has distribution and fulfillment centers in Illinois. If you’re an injured Amazon worker seeking to obtain workers’ compensation benefits in or around Chicago, it’s wise to consult a seasoned workers’ compensation lawyer. At Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, we represent workers in Champaign, Rockford, Quincy, and Aurora, as well as Cook, Adams, Sangamon, Kane and Winnebago Counties. We can examine your circumstances to determine whether you also have a basis to bring a personal injury lawsuit. Contact us at 312-263-6330 or 800-444-1525 or via our online form.