Most workers never think they could end up on a stretcher while at work. Most of the time their minds are focused on what they are doing in their job and what they are going to do when they finish at the end of the day. Accidents do happen, though, and can be serious enough to involve being taken to hospital and surgery. This could be very expensive if the employee was forced to pay for their own treatment. Fortunately, most employees are protected at work by their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. A claim can help to pay all medical bills and compensate for lost wages. A workers’ compensation attorney can provide advice about claims and help with appeals if necessary. Injuries That Can Happen in a Fast Food Restaurant Fast food restaurants like Chick Fil A have their own specific risks for workers. Mistakes are most likely to occur when the restaurant is very busy and works are often rushed off their feet. Typical injuries in the restaurant kitchen include cuts from sharp knives and other tools, electrocution shock if there are faulty appliances, burns and scalds from cooking equipment. In the restaurant, slip and fall injuries are relatively common, when workers slip over on slippery floors or trip over uneven floors. Back injuries, herniated discs and hernias can happen when employees have heavy lifting and awkward carrying of cartons of food supplies into the kitchen from a supply truck. Filing a Workers Compensation Claim When injured, it is important to have the injury recorded by your restaurant manager. Ask fellow workers to recall how the accident happened. Their recall could be important later when you make a claim as insurers tend to cast doubt over whether an injury actually happened at work or elsewhere. Use a doctor to report what the injury is and how it happened and also the necessary treatment. Make sure you use the preferred doctor or medical facility if requested to do so by the insurer. Document everything you have to do for treatment including doctor’s and hospital visits. All your medical treatment should eventually be paid, but only if you have proof of what was needed and that it related to your workplace injury. How the Value of a Workers’ Compensation Claim is Decided Workers’ comp. is no-fault insurance. The benefit of this is that it should make a claim easier and faster as there is no need to prove who was at fault like you would have to do with a personal injury claim. On the other hand, compensation is limited to monetary compensation only. The two main components are full medical costs and a percentage of what would have been paid in wages if you had stayed at work. This varies a little from state to state, but is typically two thirds or 66% of the average wages that could have been earned in that time period. To take an example, if you are off work for a strained ankle and normally earn $8 an hour over a 36 hour week, then you should be paid 8 x 36 x 2 x 2/3 = $384, together with the cost of medical treatment. This could be anything from a few hundred dollars for a minor burn injury right through to several hundred thousand for an amputated finger or thumb caused by misuse of a cutting tool. Workers’ comp. should pay for permanent partial and full disability as well as temporary disability. The burn injury would be a temporary disability, but an amputated finger would be a permanent partial disability as some work can still continue after recovery. Why You Might Use a Workers’ Compensation Attorney A workers’ compensation attorney is advisable if you think that your claim is going to be challenged or the injury is very serious. You will need the best advice you can get to ensure you have full compensation for the injury. If your claim is denied, you may decide to appeal the decision, in which case legal representation is necessary. Additional Resources Denied Workers’ Compensation at Chick-fil-A? I Got Hurt Working at Chick-Fil-A. What Do I Do? 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 Chick Fil A, or another party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
