If you work in retail and you are injured on the job you might be entitled to receive workers compensation benefits. Getting hurt on the job means that you should not have to pay for expenses related to that injury. Workers’ compensation may also pay you for the time that you cannot work so that you are not left in a tight financial spot for an injury that you sustained while you were working. It doesn’t matter what retail outlet you work for if you are injured while working retail you can apply for workers’ compensation benefits. Common Injuries That Can Happen to Retail Workers Working a retail job requires a lot more than just waiting on customers. There are many ways that you could get injured while you are doing your retail job. Some very common ways that retail workers are injured on the job include things like: You could slip and fall on a wet floor if the weather is snowy or rainy and the floor is slippery from water being tracked in. If you fall you could end up with a strained back, sprained ankle or wrist, or even a head injury if you hit your head on the floor. Falls can be very dangerous. You could cut yourself with a box cutter when you are opening boxes or containers of new stock and getting that stock ready to go out on the retail floor. Deep cuts may require stitches and you could be off of work for weeks while the cut heals as well as incurring medical bills for the stitches and follow up visits. You could end up with a repetitive stress injury or carpal tunnel system from using the cash register point of sale terminal. Carpal tunnel can be a permanently disabling injury that can leave you unable to type or do a lot of work with your hands which would mean that you would have to try and find a different career. What to Do If You Are Hurt on the Job When you are hurt the job first make sure that you get medical care if your injury requires medical intervention, like if you cut yourself and you’re bleeding profusely. If your injury doesn’t need immediate medical intervention or after you have gotten medical help tell your supervisor that you are injured. File an incident report right away with your supervisor and make sure that the report is as detailed as possible. Later on those details will be important and you might forget them over time. Your supervisor should give you a copy of the report but if they don’t make sure that you ask for one. Then go to the doctor or to urgent care to get medical treatment and make sure that you keep all of the medical documentation and medical bills that you are given. How a Workers Compensation Attorney Can Help You If you are injured at your retail job you could end up with large medical bills and lost wages from not being able to work. Workers’ compensation can pay for your medical bills, your lost wages, and in some cases pay for training if you can’t do that job anymore as due to your injuries. The best thing you can do is talk to an experienced workers’ compensation attorney. A knowledgeable attorney can guide you through the process of making a worker’s comp claim and help you get all the benefits you are entitled to. To speak with a lawyer, complete the Free Case Evaluation on this page. Additional Resources Stock Clerks and Workers' Compensation Workers' Compensation Claims by Injury
