Injuries happen at Amazon warehouses and distribution centers all the time. There are thousands of workers employed by the company so it is no surprise that some of these workers are injured from time to time. Amazon does have workers’ compensation insurance cover so if you have been injured this is an opportunity to claim compensation after a workplace accident. It can take time to process a claim and sometimes it can take years, especially if the injury was contentious or the claim was denied by Amazon’s insurer. In the event of any delays or worries about a claim it is best to get appropriate legal advice from an experienced workers’ comp. attorney before filing a claim. Company Profile: Amazon.com Amazon is one of the world’s leading online stores with an international presence. It started as online bookseller but now sells almost anything that can be sent by freight around the world. Thousands of people work in the many warehouses and distribution centers across the U.S. and other countries. The majority are employed to handle the items being sold online. This means receiving the goods from wherever they are manufactured and repacking them to be distributed to Amazon’s customers. Amazon Workplaces are the Sites of Injuries It is not always safe working at an Amazon base. Employees are injured every day somewhere at one of the warehouses or distribution centers or on the road delivering goods. Typical injuries include those that result from slip, trip and fall accidents or when something heavy falls on an employee or due to a machinery fault or truck accident. Workers’ compensation may be available if the injured employee follows the correct procedure. This can vary from state to state depending on the location of the place where e the accident happened. Each state has different requirements for making a claim such as the statute of limitations which determines when claims must be filed by. It also caps the amounts paid for medical expenses, lost earnings and disability payments. How Long Does it Take to Settle an Amazon Workers’ Comp. Claim? Each claim is unique and there is no hard and fast rule that can be used to know how long it takes to settle a claim. The injury must be notified officially to the employer. This can take time if the injury is severe, especially if the injury is overlooked by supervisors. Most states allow 2 to 3 years before a claim cannot be filed, but in some cases the claim must be filed much earlier. If insufficient evidence is submitted with the claim, this can delay the whole process. The company’s insure may not handle the claim if there is no proof that the injury happened at work or there queries about how it happened. There must be clear evidence of how much the medical treatment has cost, otherwise again there may be delays in making a decision about compensation. In some cases, a claim may be denied by the insurer. This does not mean that compensation is unobtainable but it will mean that the decision must be appealed. The appeal process may take several months or even years. How an Attorney Can Help Overall, the best way of shortening the time for a settlement is to make sure that all information required is submitted on time and in full and that advice is sought in advance from an experienced personal injury attorney. An attorney who has dealt with Amazon’s insurers before will know from assessing your injury and the circumstances of your accident roughly how long it will take to process the claim or whether there are likely to be any delays. Additional Resources Hurt Working for Amazon? Will You Need a Lawyer If You're Hurt Working For Amazon? *Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Amazon, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
