Worker Compensation Injuries to Amazon Warehouse Employees.
Study shows On-The-Job Injuries Increasing At Alarming Rate.
Minnesota’s Top Workers Compensation lawyers at the Schmidt Salita Law Team represent injured workers in all occupations. That includes warehouse workers, transporation workers, truck drivers, fire fighters and first responders, construction workers, office workers, and health care workers. They call to your attention the recent study showing an alarming increase in injuries to warehouse workers.
With Covid, people buy more online. That means more warehouse workers and delivery drivers. That means more lifting and physical work-and more injuries. Under the law, that should mean more workers compensation benefits. That is how the Minnesota Workers Compensation Law is supposed to work.
A recent study published by Kare 11 entitled “Study Finds Extreme Worker Injury Rates at Amazon warehouses in MN.”
Purchasing and ordering items online has grown significantly over the last few years. This is particularly so since the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of that, many companies that sell online, such as Amazon, have had to increase output. It has become apparent that with the significant increases, workers at these warehouses are getting injured at an alarming rate.
The lawyers at Schmidt Salita Law Team represent injured workers across the state and our office has seen an alarming trend in increased injuries suffered by employees at such companies, such as Amazon and businesses contracting with Amazon. This trend has recently made headline news across the State of Minnesota with Kare 11’s recent article titled “Study Finds ‘extreme worker injury rates’ at Amazon warehouses in MN”.
A recent report revealed that Amazon warehouse workers were reporting injuries at a rate of four times that of the statewide average. Workers cite a number of factors contributing to the increase injuries, a primary factor being that workers are expected to work at a very fast speed and maintain very high levels of productivity.
Workers, especially warehouse workers, expected to work at a higher and uncontrolled speed will suffer injuries at a higher rate.
These injuries are not isolated to Amazon warehouses either. Our office regularly represents clients injured while working in shipping warehouses, or delivering packages. Employees of delivery companies are also injured at higher rates, as delivery drivers and employees are expected to deliver all the packages in their vehicle by a set deadline. This is true rain or shine, and in Minnesota, through ice and snow, as well. Not to mention holiday peaks, where employers have increased productivity expectations that may even come with bonus opportunities. Such circumstances unfortunately lead those employees work faster and harder in order to beef up their pay checks as suffering injuries at higher rates than average.
Another significant problem we see are companies having flawed injury reporting protocols and procedures. Companies may not properly handle reported injuries, or they may not have streamlined processes that employees understand. These flaws can prevent employees from effectively reporting their injury and becoming eligible for workers compensation benefits such as wage loss benefits, medical benefits, permanent partial disability benefits, and rehabilitation benefits.
When employees are suffering injuries at higher rates while at the same time lacking the tools to report the injury and effectively enter the Minnesota workers’ compensation system, injured workers in Minnesota are in need of help.
This is why it is more important than ever to seek the free consultation of a Minnesota workers’ compensation attorney who can answer your questions about MN work comp system and zealously represent your interests, even if your employer doesn’t. If you’ve been injured at Amazon or at your busy employer, you have rights and remedies and you can speak with an attorney at Schmidt Salita Law Team today.
