If you have been injured at work, you may be worried about how it is going to affect you financially, especially if you cannot return to work because of the severity of the injuries and you need a long recovery time at home. Most employees who work for big companies should be covered by their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance which will be mandated by the state you live and work in. When you file a workers’ compensation claim you should be able to recover the full cost of medical treatment as well as a percentage of any lost wages. An attorney can help you work out what your claim would be worth. Company Profile for Sonic Corp. Sonic Corp. is a chain of fast food restaurants located in 45 states which first became established back in the early 1950s. The restaurants became known for the carhops who served the restaurant’s drive-in customers using roller skates to get around. The company headquarters are in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Sonic’s restaurant employees number over 9,000. They work in a typical fast food restaurant environment serving burgers and fries, corn dogs, chili dogs, milkshakes, slushes and other soft drinks. Hourly Wages for Employees at a Sonic Restaurant If you are trying to file a workers’ compensation claim, it is important to get all your figures correct. One of the most important factors when calculating how much your claim is worth is what you would be normally earning if you were at work. Most Sonic employees work in one of the restaurants. Typical hourly wages are listed below for a number of occupational categories at Sonic. A fast food cook earns between $7.11 and $9.16 an hour A crew leader earns between $7.36 and $17.40 an hour. A restaurant assistant manager earns between $7.57 and $11.96 an hour. A fast food assistant manager earns anywhere from $8.21 and $11.62 an hour. The variations in hourly wages depend partly on the location of the restaurant and the shift worked. These examples were sourced from payscale.com and were valid for January 2017. How Much Would a Sonic Injury Claim be Worth? A workers’ compensation claim is based on compensation for medical treatment as well as lost earnings. The amount for medical treatment must be calculated carefully with all documentation available and proof that the treatment is related to an injury or illness that happened at work. The payment for lost earnings is fairly easy to calculate because it is a fixed percentage of the amount that would have been paid if the employee was able to work. This is never the full wage, but is likely to be closer to two thirds of the wage. The exact percentage depends on the state, but most states have very similar percentages. That would mean, just to give a single example, that an injured fast food cook, normally earning $8 an hour, should receive two thirds of that hourly rate, or $5.30 an hour, for every hour he or she would have worked if not injured. Getting Help Calculating Your Claim There are many reasons why you might turn to a workers’ comp. attorney for advice and legal help at any time during a claim. You might be confused about your legal rights, not sure whether your injury or illness justifies a claim or you might have even had your claim denied. The attorney can assess your circumstances and provide useful advice or negotiate with your employer’s insurer on your behalf. *The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Sonic, or any other company, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
