Injuries at work can be worrying. Who is going to pay for hospital treatment if it is necessary? How long is it going to take before you are going to be able to get back to work? Can you recoup lost earnings? Generally, most employers in the U.S. take out insurance to cover employee injuries and illnesses while at work. The insurance provisions are limited to medical costs and a percentage of lost earnings. They also prevent the employer from being sued privately for negligence. You should be able to recover the financial burden of a workplace injury or illness by filing a workers’ compensation claim. The whole process could be made easier with the help of a workers’ comp. attorney. Company Profile for the Home Depot Inc. 385,000 people work for home improvement giant, The Home Depot. The company beats Lowe’s into second place as the largest chain store company of its kind in the country. The Home Depot has stores across the U.S. as well as various other locations, including Canada, Mexico and the island dependencies of Guam, the U.S. Virgins and Puerto Rico. Employees who work for the Home Depot might work as sales assistants helping customers purchase goods, work at the check-out, in the many warehouses and distribution depots, on trucks delivering goods as well as in administration and store management. Much of this work is relatively sedentary, and it is in these conditions that bursitis could develop. Bursitis Recovery Means No Work and Plenty of Rest Bursitis is the inflammation of the body’s bursae. These are parts of the body that help to relieve physical stresses when bones rub against their surroundings. When inflammation takes place, there is considerable pain, enough to prevent anyone from doing their job comfortably. Bursitis as a work related injury can develop when a worker is engaged in repetitive activity which means that some part of their body is under particular stress. It is important that bursitis is recognized as the main contributing problem by a doctor. It is most likely that rest will be recommended while painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed for the pain. The doctor will advise the employee when a return to work is sensible. Any earlier return may compromise recovery. Calculating Compensation for Work-Related Bursitis A workers’ compensation claim for bursitis is comprised of two components. The least in terms of value will probably be the medical costs. The symptoms of bursitis usually disappear over a few weeks rest. Any doctor’s visits should be included in the claim together with the cost of any medication. The other component will be the value of any lost warnings. Each state sets a limit to what can be claimed. This is usually a percentage, with most states settling on a figure of two thirds of what would have been earned if absence from work hadn’t occurred. This is usually fairly simple to work out. If a Home Depot sales assistant earning $8.50 an hour works a 38 hour week and is off work for 12 working days, the claim would be worth $8.5 (hourly rate) x 38 (number of hours per week) x 12 / 5 (no. of weeks) x 0.67 (percentage of wage allowed) = $519. How a Workers' Comp Attorney an Help With a Home Depot Bursitis Claim Hopefully, the claim should be processed and you end up being paid what you claimed, but things don’t always work out. If there are any problems with your claim or if it is denied or the payment seems unfair, it may be worth talking to a workers’ compensation attorney who can advise you of your legal options. *The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against the Home Depot, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
