Some jobs are inherently more risky than others and you are consequently more likely to become injured or suffer from an illness because of the job you do. If you work for a large company like the UPS one advantage is that the company will be required by state laws, wherever it is based, to take out workers’ compensation insurance on behalf of its employees. Workers’ compensation payments can make a real difference if you are seriously injured while at work. They pay medical expenses and at least part of what you might have earned if you were able to get work. Sometimes, a claim can get bogged down and that’s when an experienced workers’ comp. attorney can help you. Company Profile for the United Parcel Service (UPS) UPS, not to be confused with the United States Postal Service, is a privately run delivery and courier service which is now a huge, international business. Like many successful businesses it started out in a small way back in 1907 in Seattle, Washington when parcels were probably delivered by horse and cart. The current headquarters are in Sandy Springs, Georgia and the business takes care of deliveries of parcels to around 220 different countries. The company’s trucks and staff uniform are a very recognizable brown color, which has led to the nickname “brown” for the company. There were 434,000 UPS employees recorded in 2016. These workers take care of around 15 million packages every day delivered to nearly 8 million customers. Hourly Wages at UPS While it’s important to determine the average expected earnings for any injured worker in order to determine the compensation to be claimed, this can be more difficult at UPS because of the sheer variety of different jobs that its employees do. The following is an attempt at illustrating the variation in wages amongst UPS workers. Figures were supplied by payscale.com and are correct for March 2017. Package handlers earn anywhere between $9.93 and $15.39 an hour. Package loaders earn between $9.84 and $14.73 an hour. Delivery drivers earn between $13.24 and $34.99 an hour. Operations supervisors earn between $14.72 and $20.45 an hour. The variation is because of differences in the degree of skill, the number of unsocial hours and the location of the site of employment. How To File Your Workers’ Compensation Claim If you have been injured while on the job at UPS, you will need to get your workers’ compensation claim underway in a timely manner. There are specific time limits and deadlines for pursuing a claim, and you need to make sure you have supplied all the supporting documentation to get your claim on track. Here are the steps to getting your workers’ compensation claim on track. If you are injured on the job, you will need to report it to your employer. This is done by reporting it to your manager, supervisor, or human resources department. The statute of limitations for doing this varies from state to state, but usually have anywhere from 3 days to a year. If you miss the deadline, you could lose your chance to file a claim and access benefits. You should seek medical care right away. Delaying treatment could have a negative impact on your claim. By establishing medical care right away, you are showing that the injuries are the direct result of the accident that you suffered while on the job with UPS. Be sure to fill out all paperwork that your employer provides you. They should give you the details about how to file a claim in your state, what documents you must file and by when, and where you send them to. If you retain a workers’ compensation lawyer, they will take care of this for you. Continue with your follow-up care and listen to the doctor’s orders. Keep copies of your medical bills, medical records, and document any missed work and lost wages. Be sure to keep your employer updated on your injury and your ability to work. They need to know when you are expected to return, so they can make proper arrangements to fill your job role while you are unable to work. Be sure to respond to any requests for additional information and make sure your claim is filed in a timely manner and that you maintain thorough documentation. Determining Compensation Payments From Hourly Wages A useful rule of thumb when estimating workers’ compensation claims is that nearly every state mandates the percentage of normal wage paid as compensation to be around two thirds. That means that a UPS package handler who is claiming workers’ compensation may actually be paid between $6.60 and $10.20 an hour for the number of hours they would normally work during a week. Calculating Your Workers’ Compensation Claim If you have been injured while working at UPS, you can file a workers’ compensation claim. Workers’ compensation will cover your medical bills and about two-thirds your lost wages. You will need to maintain supporting documentation for your claim. As an example, you were working in the warehouse when you slipped and fell because of cellophane wrap on the floor. When you fell, you suffered a severely sprained ankle. Your medical bills added up to $2,500 and you missed three weeks of work, which totaled $1,800. Based on workers’ compensation regulations, you are entitled to about $1,200 for lost wages and the $2,500 for your medical bills. You were driving a delivery truck when you were involved in a crash. The accident broke your arm and caused a serious back injury that required surgical intervention. Your medical bills added up to $100,000 and you were out of work for 6 months. Your lost wages add up to $16,000, but workers’ compensation pays two-thirds of that. You would be entitled to $100,000 for the medical expenses and $10,720 for your lost wages. All your medical expenses – physician visits, hospitalization, tests such as MRIs or CT scans, physical therapy, occupational therapy, rehab, medical equipment and devices, prescriptions, and any other medical costs are included in your medical expenses. Workers’ Compensation Benefits Workers’ compensation benefits are pretty much the same across the board and from one state to the next. They cover medical expenses for treating the workplace injury or occupational disease and they cover about two-thirds of the worker’s lost wages while they are unable to work because of the injury or illness in question. Any absences from work must be documented and you must have a written excuse from the treating physician. Thorough documentation is essential to the success of your workers’ compensation claim, so be sure to maintain detailed records from the time you are injured until you are released from treatment and are able to return to work. If you will require future medical care or future time off work, be sure that is included in your claim and provide supporting documentation for that in your claim against your employer. Without supporting documentation, you cannot succeed with your claim. You must be able to show your losses in detail and provide supporting documentation to show the monetary value that it adds up to be. Average Workers’ Compensation Settlements For Injuries At Work Of course, workers’ compensation is handled on a case by case basis. The severity of the injuries can significantly impact the value of your claim. Of workers who suffered a workplace back injury, the average compensation was $23,600, which is slightly more than workers who have suffered other kinds of injuries. If you suffered a brain injury while on the job, the average settlement could exceed $1 million. Traumatic brain injuries can affect you for the rest of your life, so you will need to make sure you get all your future lost wages and future medical expenses included in that total as well. Because of the complexity of workers’ compensation claims, you should enlist the help of a workplace injury lawyer who handles such cases in your area. With the help of an attorney, you are going to have your rights protected. Your employer and their insurer will have legal representation looking out for them, so you will need to make sure you have someone who is looking out for you and your rights. Workers’ compensation attorneys stay current on the workers’ compensation laws for your state, so they are familiar with the deadlines, the processes, and the requirements of a claim. You can retain a lawyer at any time during the claims process, but if your claim is denied, you will need to retain a lawyer to represent you throughout the appeals process. A lawyer can help you through the entire process. Consult with a Workers' Compensation Attorney Not every workers' comp. claim is straightforward. You may find it difficult to complete the documentation satisfactorily and may encounter resistance or objections from either your employer or the employer’s insurer. If this is the case, it may be a good move to contact a workers’ comp. attorney for help processing the claim. *The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against UPS, or any other company, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
