No one wants to get hurt on the job. Yet, sometimes accidents do happen. If you get hurt on the job, do you know what to do to protect yourself? Each state requires the majority of employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance by law. Workers’ compensation is an insurance provided by companies to protect workers if they are hurt on the job or have a work related illness. It is available at no cost to you. It is in place to help cover any medical bills you have because of your injury, and it provides a portion of your for lost wages. Company Profile: Sears, Roebuck, & Co. Sears (officially Sears, Roebuck, & Co.) is a chain of department stores headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Sears has 793 stores nationwide. Because of the wide variety of services offered by Sears, they have multiple employment opportunities including sales professionals, delivery and installation technicians, and warehouse workers. Some Sears locations even have auto repair shops. Those locations also have automotive technicians. Risks Sears Employees May Face Because of the different positions that Sears has, employees could face different types of risk. Warehouse workers and stock room employees may have injuries to their neck, back, shoulders, and other joints and soft tissue from lifting and moving heavy boxes or major appliances. Delivery and installation technicians may face risks while traveling to a customer’s home, unloading or moving appliances, or during the installation process. In addition to soft tissue injuries from wrecks or moving heavy appliances, there is also a risk of electrocution. Sales associates may face risks such as slipping on a wet or slick floor or falling off of a ladder if they are removing a product from a high shelf for a customer. Employees who work in the tire and battery department may face risks from faulty equipment, fumes inhaled while patching tires, slips due to a spill from a vehicle that is leaking oil or other fluids, electrocution, crushed limbs, or injuries from lifting heavy equipment. What to Do If You Are Hurt on the Job at Sears If you’re hurt or injured while on the job at Sears, follow these four steps. If you are hurt or sick from your work, immediately stop and tell your supervisor. If you are in route to a customer’s home and you are involved in an accident, call 911. Then, call your supervisor. If you’ve slipped because of an oil or other leak from a vehicle or from a spill inside of the retail store, you should tell your manager so that the spill can be addressed to protect others. You should document what happened in an accident report. If 911 is called because of a chemical burn from battery acid or because of a car wreck, the police will send an officer. This officer will take a report and provide you with a report number. You should get a copy of the report a few days after your injury from the police department. You should get medical attention as soon as you can. There some injuries that don’t seem serious, but they could be made worse if you continue to work. Talk with your manager or HR rep to start your workers’ compensation claim and ask about making an appointment see the doctor listed on the workers’ compensation policy. You also have the option of seeing your own doctor. If you do pay out of pocket for anything, keep copies of your receipts so that you may be reimbursed for those expenses. Make an appointment with a workers’ compensation attorney. The workers’ compensation adjustor might try to pay you as little as possible. It is inadvisable to sign anything without talking to an attorney. Protect Your Legal Rights If you are hurt or made sick from your work at Sears, you should protect your legal rights. The best way you can do that is to make an appointment with a workers’ compensation attorney to learn about your rights under the law. *The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Sears, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
