Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is the second largest fast-food restaurant chain in the United States. They provide comfort food to their customers and a decent living to their employees. If you are employed with KFC and are injured during your shift, could you afford to take care of your family? Would you be able to afford medical care? A severe injury can leave an employee unable to work and financially devastate their family. Peace of Mind for Injured Workers Many states have laws that require most employers to provide a workers’ compensation policy for their employees. These policies are provided to employees at no charge, giving many employees peace of mind. If you are injured on the job, you should consider filing a workers’ compensation claim. In many cases, policies provide coverage for medical expenses. In cases where an employee is unable to work, they may be eligible to receive a portion of their pay. Company Profile: Kentucky Fried Chicken Kentucky Fried Chicken is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. It is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands. There are almost 5,000 locations in the United States. They have more than 20,000 employees. Risks Faced by Kentucky Fried Chicken Employees KFC employees face many day-to-day risks while performing their job duties. Employees are exposed to hot oils, warming lights, and ovens that can lead to severe burns. They are at risk for slipping and falling due to chicken grease, flour, or other liquids spilled on the floor. Non-slip shoes are not guaranteed to prevent slips or falls, and slip and falls can lead an employee to hit their head on the counter or flour. It can also result in broken bones. Lifting heavy boxes and carrying them out of the walk-in freezer can cause severe strains, pulled muscles, slipped discs, and other severe injuries. How To File a Claim Against KFC Because KFC is a well known fast food outlet, employing thousands of people throughout the country, inevitably accidents and injuries to employees are going to happen regularly. One of the most serious accidents is likely to be in a kitchen where chicken and fries are being cooked and prepared at extremely high temperatures. It only takes a matter of seconds for spilled cooking oil to inflict serious burns on a cook when it comes into contact with the employee’s skin unexpectedly. Fortunately, most companies are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance to cover their employees if they are involved in an accident at work. As it is a no-fault insurance, typically it is not important who or what caused the injury as long as it took place at work. Do You Know What to Do If You Are Injured? If you hurt yourself, you should immediately stop working. Get first aid and notify your manager of the incident. Continuing to work with an injury can type, even minor, can cause it to worsen. You will need to complete an accident report. If you have a medical emergency, such as a head injury or a severe burn, call 911. A police officer will respond to the call and write a report of the incident. A report number will be provided. You can get a copy of the report at a later date. Speak to your manger or HR rep if you start a workers’ compensation claim They can provide you with details on seeking medical care free of charge. However, you have the choice to visit your own doctor. You may need to pay out of pocket for your visits. Keep your receipts because you may be eligible for reimbursement of your expenses. Steps to Take to File a WC Claim Once the first two things are dealt with, now it comes to filing a workers’ compensation claim. If you are lucky KFC should provide you with a claim’s form which you will need to complete and send to your employer’s WC insurer and your states workers’ compensation board. The sorts of information you will need to add at the beginning of the claim’s form are as follows: your full name; your contact details; your job title; the type of injury; how the accident happened; where the accident happened; names of other people who may have been part of the accident. It is not sufficient to complete the claim form with just bare details and you will need the evidence to back up your claim. If you fail to do this you could get your WC claim denied. Some of the commonest reasons for a WC denial are: KFC’s insurer believes the injury happened while the employee wasn’t at work; the employee’s injury wasn’t considered serious enough to require medical treatment; the accident and injury were made up and never actually took place. Gathering Evidence for a KFC Workers’ Compensation Claim There should be several ways you can prove your accident happened in the kitchen while you were at work such as: proof that you reported your accident and injury within the deadline provided; written reports from reliable eye witnesses; photos taken at the accident scene showing the spilled hot oil; video footage retrieved from KFCs surveillance cameras; your physician’s report describing the severity of the burns and how they took place and likely recovery time; receipts showing medical treatment you have already paid for; unpaid invoices for other treatment already received. If your claim is approved you can expect to be reimbursed for any medical treatment you have already received and paid for and further medical treatment in the future. On top of that you should receive on a weekly basis 2/3rd of your weekly income until you recover. There other calculations available such as for temporary disability and permanent but partial disability. These will be made once the true situation is revealed regarding your disability and you will be informed of the decision made regarding the amount awarded to you in WC. Jeffers V. Kentucky Fried Chicken In the case of Jeffers v. Kentucky Fried Chicken, we learn just how dangerous lifting heavy boxes can be. In 2005, Ms. Bobbie Jeffers was working when she felt a pop in her back after lifting a pan of food. After seeking medical care, it was determined that she suffered from a herniated disc in her back. Ms. Jeffers was awarded workers’ compensation after her court hearing. KFC filed an appeal to lessen their payout. Although the appeal failed, it is an important reminder of why employees hurt on the job need to seek counsel from an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer. *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 Kentucky Fried Chicken, or Yum! Brands, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
