Workers’ Compensation for Injuries at New Stanton, PA, Distribution Centers
In our age of wide-scale online shopping and two-day shipping, companies like Amazon, FedEx, and UPS make use of distribution centers to help fill orders and get packages to their destinations on tight deadlines. New Stanton, PA, is home to several of these distribution centers, including an Amazon fulfillment center and a UPS distribution hub. If you’re a distribution center worker who becomes injured on the job, you could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits covering the cost of your medical care, offsetting a portion of your lost wages, and providing you with a safety net while you get better. Here’s what you need to know about claiming and securing these benefits.
Common Injuries Among Distribution Center Workers
Some common injuries among workers at distribution centers run by UPS, Amazon, and other companies include:
- Back Injuries: Distribution center workers often lift and move heavy packages, which can lead to lower back strains or similar injuries.
- Repetitive Strain Injuries: Continuous sorting, scanning, or packing tasks can cause strain on the hands, wrists, and arms, leading to conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis.
- Slip and Fall Injuries: Wet floors, cluttered aisles, or uneven surfaces in busy loading docks or warehouses can result in workers falling and injuring their knees and ankles, or even suffering broken bones.
- Crushed or Pinched Limbs: Workers handling heavy machinery, like forklifts or conveyor belts, can get their fingers, hands, or limbs pinched or crushed.
- Head Injuries: Falling boxes or items from high shelves can hit workers on the head, potentially causing concussions or traumatic brain injuries.
- Shoulder Injuries: Reaching overhead or consistently handling heavy packages can lead to shoulder strain or rotator cuff injuries.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Distribution Center Injuries
If you work at a distribution center in Pennsylvania, you qualify for workers’ comp benefits if:
- You’re a full employee and not a contractor.
- You suffer an injury at work or while performing your job-related duties.
The good news about workers’ comp benefits in Pennsylvania is that you don’t have to prove your employer or anyone else caused your injuries. The trade-off here is that you generally can’t sue your employer for job-related injuries.
Depending on your injuries, how much work you have to miss, and other factors, your workers’ compensation benefits could include:
- Full coverage of all reasonable and medically necessary treatments for your injuries.
- Partial wage-replacement benefits while you miss work, up to certain limits under state law.
- Specific loss benefits for the loss of a limb or one of your senses (hearing, vision, etc.)
Key Deadlines in Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp Claims
You should report a work-related injury to your employer within 21 days to avoid any delays in receiving your benefits. If you wait more than 120 days to report the injury, you are barred from receiving benefits. Filing a workers’ comp claim is separate from reporting the injury, and you have three years from the day of injury in which to do so.
Contact a Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Attorney Now
If you sustained injuries while working at an Amazon, UPS, or other distribution center in New Stanton, PA, count on Stine & Associates to help you seek the benefits you’re entitled to. Call us today or reach out online for a free consultation with our Pennsylvania workers’ compensation lawyers serving New Stanton.