Are you suffering from a bad back? Did it occur while you were working? It’s not unusual in certain occupations for a variety of back problems to take root. If you work for a large company like Lowe’s, it is very likely that you will be covered by your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. The good thing about workers' compensation insurance is that you don’t have to prove that it was not your fault that you ended up with a health issue. That being said, a workers’ compensation claim may still benefit from the advice and legal help you can get from an experienced attorney. Lowe’s Companies Inc. – Company Profile Lowe’s is a well-known and oft-used large chain of hardware and home fittings stores. Most large, suburban shopping centers will probably have a Lowe’s. In fact, there are 1,840 stores across the U.S. at last count, along with many more in Canada and Mexico. Over a quarter of a million people work for Lowe’s in some department or another. Most of these employees will work with the public as store managers, department managers, shop assistants and cashiers. There will also be those who work behind the scenes getting goods ready for sale, and there are also people who work in the huge distribution network. Why Bad Backs are Bad News for Lowe’s Workers Bad backs cover a number of different medical problems, but this is probably one of the most common occupational hazards of working in a retail environment. When someone complains of a “bad back,” it might mean their back is simply sore, but that person may also have slipped or herniated discs and pinched nerves. Those are causes for concern and will require medical attention. With a slipped disc, the small pieces of cartilage have become dislodged from between the joints in the backbone. This can cause a lot of pain because there is too much friction between the bones. A pinched nerve in the backbone area can cause pain to spread well beyond the back into the arms or hips. These conditions require medical analysis, such as x-rays and scans. They will not generally clear up unless the patient commits to resting. That means several days or weeks off work while recovery is taking place. That’s when a workers’ compensation claim will come in handy. What the Value of a Lowe’s Bad Back Claim Might be Worth It is unlikely that a Lowe’s employee would bother with making a claim for a sore back unless the sore back required medical attention. Serious back problems usually require several weeks off work in order to recover fully. Going back to work any earlier would simply compound the problem and delay recovery. A workers’ comp claim is for the full medical cost of dealing with the bad back as well as the state-determined percentage of the wage that would have been earned if the employee had been able to work. These are some of the damages you might be entitled to. The medical component will include all of a doctor’s initial visits, x-rays, scans, hospital treatment (including possible surgery), as well as the cost of any drugs and transport to and from medical centers. The lost earnings component will be a multiple of the normal hourly wage, the number of hours worked per week, the number of weeks (or days) off work, and the percentage allowed (usually around two thirds). As a hypothetical example, a Lowe’s warehouse worker who normally works 40 hours per week, was off work for three weeks with a bad back, and was earning $9 an hour would claim : $9 x 40 x 3 x 0.67 = $723. This would be in addition to the medical component. An Attorney Can Help You With a Workers’ Comp Claim It’s unlikely that you will get much help from your supervisor or the company itself when you make a claim. Unless you have made a claim before or have a friend at work who has made a claim before, you will have to go through the claim process all by yourself. If it all gets to be too much, talk to an experienced workers’ compensation attorney for legal help. Remember that you can file a claim even if you caused the accident; file without fear. *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 Lowes’, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
