Did you suffer an injury while working your shift at Family Dollar? If so, you may be eligible to file a workers’ compensation claim to recover medical expenses and a portion of lost wages. Most employers in the United States are required to have workers’ compensation coverage for their employees. Workers’ comp is an insurance program that offers medical benefits and covers some of the wages lost while the employee recovers from an on-the-job illness or injury. Because workers’ compensation is a complex program and filing a claim is detailed, you should consult with a workers’ compensation attorney to ensure you are fairly compensated for your claim. Company Profile: Family Dollar Leon Levine founded Family Dollar, an American variety store chain, in 1959. It has grown to have more than 8,000 locations throughout 46 states. It is the second largest retailer of its kind in the country. Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, the chain was purchased by Dollar Tree for $8.5 billion on July 28, 2014 with the bid being approved by Dollar Tree shareholders on January 22, 2015. In addition to its store locations, Family Dollar has 11 distribution centers. It has thousands of employees in various positions. Hurt on the Job? Were you working your shift at a Family Dollar distribution center when you were injured by a pallet jack that crushed your foot? If so, you may have a workers’ compensation claim. If you are hurt while at work, you should notify your supervisor immediately so they can complete an accident report. You should then seek medical care right away. Be sure to give your detailed account of the incident while it is still fresh in your memory. Slip and Fall: If you are working in a distribution center or a store, it is easy to slip and fall. Products are spilled, papers and wrappers are dropped. Slip and fall accidents can still cause serious injuries such as back injuries, broken bones, soft tissue damage, and even concussions. Chemical Exposure: You can be exposed to toxic substances or chemicals inadvertently that result in skin burns or breathing problems. Examples can be cleaning supplies that have spilled and mixed together. Inhaling ammonia or bleach can be damaging to your lungs. Lacerations: If you are using a box cutter and it slips, the razor blade can cause serious damage. You can experience more than a cut through layers of skin. You can suffer ligament and tendon damage that may require surgical procedures. For more specific on Workers' Comp while working for Family Dollar, please see our page: Evidence Needed to Build a Lawsuit Against Family Dollar How to Prepare a Workers' Comp Claim Against Family Dollar Tips for Getting Workers’ Comp After an Injury at Family Dollar* Herniated Disc at Family Dollar Hernia Injury While Working at Family Dollar How to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim Many employees at Family Dollar work in the store as cashiers, shelf fillers and cleaners. There are also employees who help maintain the stores and work in warehouses unloading stores, pricing them and bringing them into the stores. If you have been injured while at work at a Family Dollar store, it is very likely that there would be other fellow workers close by who can help you get medical attention and provide confirmation that the accident happened while at work. It is important to get medical attention before you do anything else. It is likely that you will not be able to obtain any workers’ compensation unless you are seen by a doctor and assessed. If you are badly injured, you may need an ambulance to get you to a hospital. Seek Medical Attention If your injuries are less serious, it is still important to see a doctor. Some injuries may get worse if you try and continue working. It is important to let your immediate supervisor know about the injury. In most cases this will be the store manager. The accident needs to be recorded officially by the store management. Information that should be passed on and recorded includes the time and date of the accident, the nature of the injury, how it happened and what you did immediately afterwards, i.e. go to the hospital or report to a doctor. This information will help provide confirmation that the injury happened while at work when you later file your workers’ compensation claim. If you are badly injured and are taken to hospital, don’t expect that the accident has been officially recorded. Even if you can’t do that at the time of the accident because you are in pain or are unconscious, you should contact the store manager as soon as you are able to make sure the details have been recorded. Each state sets time limits for recording a work injury and filing a claim for workers’ compensation. As a rule of thumb, you may have anything between a week and two weeks to make sure your injury has been recorded. Your employer’s insurer may have a preferred company doctor or hospital that it insists you use when seeking medical treatment after a workplace injury at Family Dollar. If you need emergency treatment, this will be waived, but it may be expected that medical treatment is transferred over to the preferred provider when you recover sufficiently for this to take place. As this depends on your employer and their insurer, it is important to find out whether you are using the right medical provider, otherwise your claim may be denied. Whether you just see a doctor, or go to several providers, make sure they know you were injured while at work and that this is included on their records. There may be a tick box for a work related injury that you fill in on admission to hospital, for example. If you are attending the insurer’s preferred medical provider, they should bill the insurer directly. If you use your own choice of doctor, clinic or hospital because the insurer allows this, make sure that the provider is able to deal with WC claims. Also, make sure that all medical records and reports include the fact that you were injured at work. You may need copies of all this information when you make a claim. The insurer may need regular updates to inform them whether you are able to return to work or not and the progress of your treatment. Statue of Limitations Contact the state workers’ compensation board or equivalent agency to find out the rules for making a claim in that state. You may make a workers’ compensation claim directly through them or file it with the insurer. There will be a statute of limitation that limits how long you have to file a claim and how much you can get paid. It is a good idea to contact a workers’ compensation attorney for help and advice if you have anything other than a very minor injury or you are encountering obstructive treatment by your employer or their insurer. Gathering Evidence for a Workers’ Compensation Claim Although workers’ compensation is a no-fault type of insurance, you will still need evidence to show that the injury was a genuine workplace injury. That’s why it is important to make sure the injury is recorded by the store manager. The following evidence should also be obtained and submitted with your claim: eye witness statements confirming that the injury took place when and where you said it did. this could be another employee, the manager and/ or store customers who saw what happened. photos taken of the injury if you can take them; doctor’s report after you have been examined. results of tests and scans; reports from any specialist or hospital doctor; receipts or invoices for all medical treatment including doctor’s visits, medication, hospital treatment, ambulance, etc. estimated future medical treatment needed if this is necessary. Potential Settlement for a Workers’ Compensation Claim There are two main components of a workers’ compensation settlement. Your full medical costs should be paid as long as they can be shown to be related to a workplace injury. A portion, typically around two thirds of the amount you have lost while not working, should also be paid. There may be a limit to the time period this is paid. There may be additional payments if the injury is a permanent disability or for retraining. For example, if you were a Family Dollar cashier, working for an average of 40 hours a week on a $9 an hour wage, you may be entitled to $6 for every hour you are off work. Medical compensation is often standardized in the state, so a broken arm, for example, may cost anywhere from $2,500 to $10,000 depending on how bad the fracture is and whether it is a single or multiple fracture. It may take 6 to 8 weeks to recover fully from such an injury. That means that a Family Dollar cashier who has broken their arm at work may reasonably be paid in settlement a minimum of 6 (weeks) x 40 (hours per week) x 6 (two thirds of hourly wage) = $1,440, plus medical costs of $2,500 minimum = $3,900. Most settlements would take longer to process if the relevant documentation is missing. Conformation that the accident and injury actually happened at work, when and how it happened, what the injury was and what it has cost for treatment must all be documented throughout. It is better to err on the side of too much evidence than too little. Some insurers and employers may attempt to challenge the fact that the accident was work related or that there was some reason why you should not be compensated, e.g. because you injured yourself deliberately, playing around when the accident happened, etc. Consult with a Workers’ Compensation Attorney If you have been injured while at work, you should consult with a workers’ compensation attorney even before filing your claim. The claims process is very detailed and complicated, but an attorney can work to protect your rights and help you recoup your medical expenses and a portion of any lost wages. Your attorney can handle your claim while you focus on recovering from your accident. Your attorney will negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf as well. *The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Family Dollar, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
