Nobody really worries about accidents at work unless they are in an occupation that is known to be risky. Working in a pharmacy like a CVS pharmacy doesn’t seem to be a dangerous prospect, but accidents can happen just about anywhere and can leave you badly injured just when you were least prepared for it. That’s when a workers’ compensation claim can set you on your feet again. Successful claims can help to pay for all your legitimate medical costs, as well as a percentage of lost earnings. As an injured worker, you may find that an attorney can help to explain your legal rights clearly and negotiate with your employer and particularly the insurer to obtain a satisfactory compensation outcome. Company Profile for CVS Pharmacy CVS Pharmacy is the largest pharmacy chain in the U.S. with over 9, 600 locations across the country. CVS Pharmacy’s headquarters are in Rhode Island. CVS Pharmacy is actually a subsidiary of its parent company, CVS Health. Over 240,000 people are employed by CVS Pharmacy, helping to provide a wide range of drugs, cosmetics, beauty products, convenience foods, greeting cards, seasonal merchandise and photo services. The company also operates around 1,100 medical clinics and diabetes centers. The clinics are usually conveniently located inside the main CVS pharmacies. Hourly Wages at CVS and Your Claim If you are unfortunate enough to have suffered a workplace related injury or illness at CVS, your wages will be taken into consideration in the process of calculating an appropriate level of compensation. There are of course several different job categories, so the list below is only to provide an idea of some of the common occupations within CVS. The figures were provided by the online pay database, payscale.com and have been updated to March 2017. Certified pharmacy technicians earn between $9.56 and $15.56 an hour; Lead pharmacy technicians earn between $11.24 and $18.21 an hour; Retail shift supervisors earn between $9.63 and $15.14 an hour. Calculating the Wage Component of a Workers’ Compensation Claim Nearly all states put limits on workers’ compensation settlements. There are normally two components to the claim and both involve economic damages. The first component is for compensating medical costs. The second is compensation for lost earnings. Usually, this is around two thirds of what would have been earned if the injured employee were able to go back to work. As an example, a certified pharmacy technician, earning $10 an hour normally, would expect to obtain $6.70 an hour for the number of hours they would normally work in compensation if the claim is upheld. Average Settlement Against CVS The average settlement against CVS for a WC claim depends on a number of factors: the average earnings of the injured employee; the nature of the injury and how serious it is; whether surgery is necessary; how long the worker needs to take time off work; whether the injury is only temporary or permanent; how much medication is needed; whether further treatment is needed such as physical therapy. whether the injury is a temporary or permanent disability. Workers’ compensation pays for a portion (typically around two thirds) of lost earnings as well as the full cost of medical treatment as long as it can be shown that it is related to the injury. There may be other benefits available if the injury is so serious that it permanently disables the worker and there is no possibility of a full return to the same type of work as before. The following example of a CVS workers’ compensation settlement is hypothetical. Real life examples may end in a smaller or larger settlement than the one given here. A CVS worker who is a pharmacy sales associate earns $14 an hour over a normal 36 hour working week. She is exposed to an unknown substance over a short period and develops an irritating rash which does not heal. She is diagnosed with an allergic reaction to a pharmaceutical substance she had been preparing regularly for customers. She received medication for the rash and painkillers. Her rash and other symptoms finally disappeared and her doctor cleared her for a return to work after 2 weeks. She filed a claim against CVS for the following: Lost earnings: 2 weeks @ 14 dollars an hour for 3 hours a week = $665 after a reduction of 33% in step with the state’s WC regulations; 2 x doctor’s visit fees: 2 x $120= $240. Test on rash: $570. Medication combination: $370. Total claimed and accepted by CVS insurers was for $1,875. Evidence for a CVS Workers’ Compensation Claim One of the most common reasons why a workers’ compensation claim is rejected by insurers is because they are not convinced that a particular injury actually happened while at work. This means that the most important evidence that needs to be presented with a WC claim is proof that the injury, whatever it was, happened or developed at work. If you have been injured while working at the CVS and the injury happened because of an accident at a CVS store you should ask any other employees who were present to verify the accident and injury. If there were no employees present, there may have been customers who could also provide a statement confirming your injury. Apart from evidence of a genuine workplace injury you should also be able to present proof of an assessment by a doctor to confirm the nature of your injury and what treatment is required. All costs involved should be documented such as bills, receipts and invoices for medical treatment and medication. A workers’ comp. lawyer can help you with preparing evidence to support your claim. You May Find a Worker’s Comp Attorney Helpful An experienced workers’ compensation attorney can really make the difference if you are struggling with your workers’ comp. claim after an accident or illness at work. The attorney can discuss your legal rights, point out the sort f documentation you need to make you claim convincing and help to negotiate on your behalf with your employer and your employer’s insurer. *The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against CVS, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
