Getting injured at work can be a scary experience, and it isn’t just due to the injury itself. When you’re injured at work, you may not have a sense of who to turn to for help. You may not even know that help is available. Whether the accident was your fault or not, getting injured often means that you may be entitled to file a workers’ compensation claim. That being said, the process can be complex and discouraging. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney can help you through it. Your attorney will be in the best possible position to determine your chances of a successful claim, argue on your behalf, and, ideally, get you the compensation that you deserve. Company Profile: FedEx FedEx has become one of the most well-known courier services in the U.S. It was initially founded as FedEx Express in 1971, which was when the name referred to its air division. It was incorporated as the FedEx Corporation in 1997, which is in turn commonly shortened to “FedEx” today. In 2016, the company amassed over $50 billion in revenue and had 400,000 employees. Its headquarters are located in Memphis, Tennessee. What Are the Causes of Back Pain at Work? Back pain caused by an injury is one of the most debilitating injuries encountered by workers at FedEx. Thousands of work days are lost due to back pain and often it takes a long time to recover from it. There are almost too many situations to list that could cause back pain but some of the commonest at FedEx are: repetitive motions like constant lifting of heavy packages every day in and out of a fedex truck; slipping and falling on an obstruction that causes you to fall backwards and hit your back on a hard, sharp object; a package falling off a storage shelf and striking your back in a FedEx store room poor back support when driving a FedEx truck every day. How Hurting Your Back Could Affect Your Job at FedEx Hurting your back would be an enormous setback if you were working at FedEx. This is most obvious when it comes to how the company primarily makes its money: shipping. If you hurt your back, you probably wouldn’t be able to lift heavy boxes, which is one of the tasks most commonly associated with working for a shipping company. In fact, depending on your back pain, you may even have difficulty driving a delivery vehicle; after all, if you experience a lot of pain in the driver’s seat while sitting up, it may be close to impossible to complete a shift as a driver. Of course, back pain can also affect more sedentary jobs as well. If you can’t sit up comfortably, that will make it extremely difficult to work at a desk. In fact, a back injury could also make standing jobs impossible to complete as well. This is because your back is essentially a column, and any pain has the potential to affect your entire body. As a result, it’s no surprise that simply hurting your back could leave you incapable of performing a wide range of tasks at FedEx. What to Do if You Hurt Your Back at Work? The most important action to take if you have suffered a back injury while working as a driver or warehouse worker at FedEx is to get your injury diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. Some employers ask injured employees to go to their own medical provider and any follow up treatment will be provided by the employer’s appointed physician. You should know your rights on this otherwise you may find you are unable to include your medical treatment in your workers’ compensation claim. The next step is to inform your work supervisor preferably in writing so the proof is there if you need it. Some employers set a time limit for reporting workplace accidents which could be as little as 24 hours from the time of the accident. If you don’t stick to this deadline you may have your workers’ compensation claim denied. The final step is actually filing the workers’ compensation claim itself. Some more proactive employers will provide you with the WC claim form which you will need to complete. You will be asked to fill in the following details: your full name; your employee position; the date of the accident; the exact place of the accident; what caused the accident? names of any other employee involved in the accident. You will also need to include the evidence which proves the injury took place at work. This is important because so many WC claims are denied because the evidence isn’t sufficient to prove the injury was work related. It is always better to get your first application right so there is no argument later on about your eligibility for workers’ compensation. Some of the commonest reasons for a WC denial are: the injury happened while the employee was off the work site and off duty; the employee’s injury wasn’t serious enough to warrant medical treatment; he accident and injury didn’t typically took place. How Much is a Back Claim Worth? Most WC claims amount to several thousand dollars depending on the medical treatment required and the time that needs to be spent off work recovering. You can expect all your medical treatment to be paid by FedEx’s insurer plus two thirds of your weekly wage until you are able to return to work. This will include the cost of an ambulance, cost of consultation and medical treatment in the emergency room, cost of x-rays, scans and any other technology used to get a proper diagnosis, help in the home while you are recovering. The recovery time tends to be around 7 months. Typical costs of medical treatment for a disc injury when cortisone was used to relieve the pain: cost of ambulance = $200; doctor’s fee x 2 = $414; x-ray = $1,600; ct scan = $1,100; saline to flush, lidocaine to numb the area and cortisone = $37.50; 2/3rds of $700 x 30 weeks = $13,980. Total payment for workers’ compensation for a FedEx back injury = $17,211. An Attorney Can Help This kind of issue can be scary, and having a lawyer can be helpful-- and not just in terms of having an ally. Your workers’ compensation attorney will be knowledgeable and more than capable of helping you pursue a successful case. Moreover, your workers’ compensation attorney will most likely work on a contingency fee basis, which means that he or she will not be paid unless you win your case. In other words, you should consider contacting a workers’ compensation attorney. You have little to lose and an enormous amount to gain. Although no amount can erase a past injury, it can make your future feel more comfortable. *The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against FedEx, or any other company, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
