With people spending more and more time at home during the pandemic, home renovations hit record highs. Thanks to lockdowns, homeowners and renters alike cast critical eyes on the spaces they now spent twenty four hours a day in. Naturally, with this wave of home renovations, home stores like Home Depot saw huge bumps in pandemic induced purchases.
More specifically, Home Depot clocked a staggering $40 Billion in sales over the two year period of 2020 to 2021, according to Business Insider. Beyond customers, many Home Depot associates went above and beyond to serve customers during the pandemic. That includes warehouse workers.
Warehouses can be frightening places to work: serious machinery and tight deadlines are enough to make any person worry for their safety. Moreover, given the nature of many Home Depot products– lumber, power tools, large furniture, etc– there is an added element of danger that comes from working in a Home Depot warehouse.
If you or a loved one were injured in a workplace accident in a Home Depot warehouse, you likely would benefit from seeking legal representation to understand workers' compensation for Home Depot warehouse injuries. Please reach out to a Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys associate today to schedule your free consultation. With our track record of multi-million dollar settlements and our award winning team of personal injury lawyers, we will do everything we can to make sure you get the compensation you deserve.
What is Workers' Compensation?
Workers' compensation is the support that you are entitled to if you are a Pennsylvania resident and were injured while at work. This support encompasses wage protection and in some cases contributions towards your losses. This support extends to almost all types of laborers, including but not limited to full-time, part-time, and seasonal laborers, as is enumerated in the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act. As a warehouse worker at Home Depot, you are covered by this act. If you are a worker in a unionized industry, like rail workers, however, you have your own specific workers' compensation bills, and therefore are not covered under the general Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act.
What Type of Compensation Can I Expect to Receive?
At most, you can expect to receive up to two thirds of your weekly pay, or up to $1205.00 per week for injuries occurring on or after January 1st, 2022. The payout ceiling is a number that changes every year, based on a number of different factors. To learn more about previous ceilings, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry site.
While each year the payout ceiling is a fixed number, your actual payout will depend on the gravity of your injury. Persons with injuries that are completely disabling will be entitled to more financial compensation than someone with a less severe injury.
If your injury prevents you from working for more than two years, your disability status may be reviewed. Upon review, the state will assess if you are still totally unable to work, or if your earning capacity has simply been reduced. Depending on the findings, your compensation may change. For more specific information about what type of compensation you can expect to receive, please review our workers' compensation page.
What Injuries are Covered Under Workers' Compensation?
Working in a Home Depot warehouse, a person could be injured in any number of ways. Some of the most common injuries warehouse workers sustain include ligament sprains, bone fractures, muscle strains, and even in some cases, concussions and other brain injuries. This is not an all inclusive list, and it is important to note that Pennsylvania workers' compensation laws do not discriminate based on the severity of the injury. If you sustain an injury that you deem “minor,” you may still be entitled to a proportional amount of support from your employer.
Notably, as COVID-19 causes workers to lose wages due to isolation, contracting COVID-19 may also entitle you to wage compensation. If you contract COVID-19 on the clock, be sure to report it to your supervisor, as you may be entitled to compensation.
While many injuries are covered under workers' compensation, there are a few categories of injuries that would prevent you from seeking workers' compensation benefits. If you actively contribute to or cause your own harm are not covered under Pennsylvania workers' compensation laws, and will not be entitled to receive benefits. More specifically, this means injuries sustained while under the influence, injuries that occur from personal conflicts, and injuries that are caused by acts of self-harm.
What Should I Do if I Believe I Am Entitled to Workers' Compensation from Home Depot?
In order to maximize your chance of a successful claim, be sure to report your injury to your supervisor as soon as possible. If you can, report your injury in writing, and be sure to keep a personal copy of this correspondence. Pennsylvania law outlines that in order to process your claim, you must report your accident within 120 days of it occurring. If your claim is approved, you should begin receiving benefits within 21 days of reporting your incident to your employer.
If your claim is denied, try to remain calm. Claims are frequently denied by employers, and you will likely still be able to receive your benefits. When your claim is denied, hiring the right workers' compensation lawyer will greatly increase your chances of success.
How Can Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys help me?
Our team at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys knows the ins and outs of the entire claims process and the nuances of Pennsylvania's employment laws. With over 60 years of practice, we have the knowledge and experience to get you the outcome that you deserve. Our results speak for themselves: many of our lawyers have won multi-million dollar settlement outcomes. Reach out to us today for your free consultation. We look forward to reviewing your case and supporting you during this difficult time.
We can also help with injuries in other warehouses:
Injuries in Amazon Warehouse
Injuries in Fabri Kal Warehouse
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Injuries in TJ Maxx Warehouse
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Injuries in Walmart Warehouse
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Injuries in Adidas Warehouse
Injuries in Zulily Warehouse
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Injuries in Pepperidge Farm Warehouse
Injuries in Boscovs Warehouse
Injuries in Cardinal Glass Warehouse
