Some Home Depot workers are regularly expected to work away from a company site. Delivery drivers, in particular, spend many hours on the road between the company’s distribution centers and the numerous stores and warehouses. These drivers are exposed to the same risks on U.S. highways as any other truck drivers. If injured, they should be able to claim workers’ compensation. Insurers can make claims of this kind more challenging than others, and it is recommended that an injured employee who considers making a claim discusses the claim with an experienced workers’ comp. attorney. Company Profile: The Home Depot The Home Depot is North America’s largest home improvement chain. It has over 2,000 stores in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and several offshore U.S. dependencies. The number of employees working for The Home Depot, both on and off-site, is over 400,000. The first Home Depot was established in Georgia, and the headquarters of the corporation are still located there in Atlanta. Typical Off-Site Accidents at The Home Depot Most off-site work is centered around the distribution network. The hundreds of Home Depot stores are supplied by thousands of Home Depot trucks and vans, which deliver goods from the regional distribution centers. These delivery truck workers spend most of their time on the road and face the daily risk of traffic accidents. Off-site employee injuries are the same as any other traffic accident injuries. They range from minor cuts and bruises to major, catastrophic brain, torso and limb injuries. Filing a Workers’ Comp. Claim after an Off-site Accident at The Home Depot Each state has its own rules for claiming workers’ compensation. Injured employees must inform their supervisor of a workplace injury within a limited time frame or risk losing any chance of obtaining compensation. The accident must be officially recorded by the employer so that details are available when the claim is considered by the insurer and/or the state’s own workers’ comp. authority. There is no difference in procedure for an on-site accident, e.g. a slip and fall accident in a warehouse. A claim must be filed within the state’s statute of limitations, typically two to three years from the date of the injury. In fact, a claim should be filed as soon as possible, as it is easier to find evidence to support the claim earlier rather than later. The only drawback of an off-site injury is that insurers may make it more difficult to accept that the injury was work related. Eye witness statements at the crash scene and a police report will help substantiate the fact that the accident happened while still at work. A Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help You with Your Claim If you have any doubts about filing a claim or want to know where you stand after an off-site injury, you should discuss the accident with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney. Additional Resources Process For Filing For Workers’ Comp. at Home Depot I Got Hurt Working in Construction for The Home Depot. What Can I Claim? *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 The Home Depot, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
