Warehouse and Distribution Center Injuries

Working in a warehouse or distribution can be a very stressful and physically-demanding job. Companies such as Amazon, Walmart, Fed Ex, and UPS operate large fulfillment and distribution warehouses which process millions of orders. These companies promise their customers quick delivery times, which often come at a price for their workers. In fact, multiple news articles have been written about unsafe and hostile work conditions at Amazon.

Warehouse workers work in fast-paced environments to meet the strict deadlines imposed by their employers. This increases their likelihood of being injured at work.

If you work at one of these facilities, it is likely you will be on your feet for long periods of time. You may not only have to stand for hours, but you may also have to walk multiple miles during your shift. You will likely have to lift heavy boxes. You will have unpack and sort items, and you will have to pack merchandise for shipments. You may have to operate heavy machinery such as a forklift or pallet jack. You may have to climb ladders or work above the ground on an elevated platform. Even if you don't have to operate heavy equipment, you will likely have to use box cutters and scissors. You may have to perform repetitive motion throughout your work shift, especially if you are working on a conveyor belt.

These work environments can exposure workers to a variety of potential injuries, such as:

Injuries while operating equipment such as forklifts and pallet jacks.

Slip and falls due to boxes and liquid on warehouse floors.

• Lifting injuries.
• Cuts and wounds from using box cutters and scissors.
• Falls from heights which can cause traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and other head injuries.
• Repetitive motion injuries
• Workplace assaults, which are more frequent in warehouse settings due to the large amount of workers who have to work close together in a high-stress environment.

Delivery drivers for companies such as Amazon, Walmart, Fed Ex, and UPS face their own unique injury risks. Drivers may be involved in a car accident while making a driver. If so, the driver may be entitled to workers' compensation benefits regardless of whose fault caused the motor vehicle accident. If the other driver was at fault, you may have an auto claim alongside your workers' compensation claim.

Drivers may sustain other types of injuries while making a delivery. They may slip and fall at a customer's home. There have been unfortunate incidents of delivery drivers being assaulted by a customer.

Employers often make their employees report such accidents in a very specific and timely manner, but employers then often ignore the injured worker and their injuries. Medical treatment is not paid for or authorized. Lost wages are not paid. The injured worker often finds that the circumstances of his or her employment to have changed after the injury. The injured worker is written up for minor acts after the injury that were tolerated by the employer prior to the injury. The injured worker's hours are reduced or eliminated altogether.

Our board certified workers' compensation specialist at the Olsinski Law Firm is familiar with the insurance companies, third-party administrators, and law firms who represent employers such as Amazon in workers' compensation cases. We can anticipate the defenses and arguments these large employers will make in your claim, and therefore we can give you the representation you deserve.

You work a demanding job. You are subject to strict rules, quotas, and deadlines. You can be fired if you don't meet them. To make matters worse, the work environment at a distribution or fulfillment center makes you more susceptible to injury than the average worker. When an injury happens, you need an experienced North Carolina workers' compensation attorney to represent you against these large corporations.

Contact the Olsinski Law Firm for a free and confidential consultation about your workers' compensation claim with a board certified workers' compensation attorney.