Bagger Injuries at Grocery Stores

The Fort Lauderdale area is home to a wide range of grocery stores, including Publix, Winn Dixie, Whole Foods, the Fresh Market, Costco, BJ’s, Walmart Supercenter, Whole Foods Market, Aldi, and more. All of these stores have employees who work entirely or routinely as baggers. It is important to know that baggers can get hurt on the job and can be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. In order for a grocery store employer to be required to have coverage, it must have four or more employees — that includes nearly all retail establishments selling food and other grocery store items in South Florida. Accordingly, if you were injured on the job while bagging groceries or other products, it is essential to get in touch with a Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation attorney who can help you to seek compensation.

Understanding Bagging Jobs and Grocery Store Injuries 

Baggers are often hired at grocery stores in South Florida over the winter and spring months when snowbirds are down and grocery stores are crowded, and teenagers often take these kinds of jobs over the summer months, as well. In many grocery stores in South Florida, baggers also have other work duties at the supermarket, such as cashier duties or stocking duties.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that injuries among grocery store workers, including baggers, is significantly higher than the overall rate of retail injuries. When baggers and other grocery store workers do get hurt on the job, about 50 percent must miss days of work in order to recover, according to the BLS.

Common Injuries Among Grocery Store Baggers 

Sprains and strains are among the most common types of injuries cited by baggers at grocery stores. As MedlinePlus explains, a “sprain is a stretched or torn ligament,” while a “strain is a stretched or torn muscle or tendon.” There are many different ways in which sprains and strains can occur, and both are types of musculoskeletal injuries.

In addition, baggers can get cuts or lacerations while bagging customers’ products, and they can sustain injuries like bone fractures or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in slips and falls.

How to Seek Compensation After a Grocery Store Injury 

Most grocery store workers, including baggers, can be eligible for workers’ compensation coverage if they are injured on the job. This includes part-time and seasonal employees. What do you need to do in order to seek financial compensation?

• First, report your injury to your employer as soon as possible (Florida law requires you to report the injury within 30 days to receive workers’ compensation benefits);
• Seek medical attention (and see an approved provider for all follow-up care and any initial non-emergency visit); and
• Get help from a workers’ compensation lawyer.

Contact a Fort Lauderdale Workers’ Compensation Lawyer 

Were you injured while working as a bagger at a grocery store, or while performing another job at a supermarket? You could be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits and should discuss your situation with one of the experienced Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation attorneys at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. today. Our firm regularly assists injured workers in South Florida. We know how important it is to get the compensation you need for your medical care and your wages, and we are here to help.

Sources:

bls.gov/opub/mlr/cwc/workplace-injuries-and-illnesses-in-grocery-stores.pdf

medlineplus.gov/sprainsandstrains.html

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0440/0440ContentsIndex.html