Retail Work Injuries In Florida
Retail workers in Florida and across the country sustain workplace injuries much more frequently than you might think. Many people assume that retail jobs put workers at relatively low risk of injury since they are primarily engaged with shelving consumer products or interacting with customers—as opposed to the kinds of fall accidents or machinery risks that occur on construction sites, for example. Yet retail workers can suffer many different types of injuries on the job, and many of those injuries can be debilitating. As the holiday season approaches, more retail environments will be hectic, and both workers and customers will occupy busy stores. If you are injured while you are working a retail job, whether it is during the holiday season or otherwise, what do you need to know about seeking financial compensation? Our South Florida workers’ compensation lawyers can help.
Learning More About Retail Work Injuries
Retail jobs are simply much more dangerous than many Americans suspect. Indeed, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times, injury rates for retail workers at malls and other large retail areas have been rising, which means that “retail store workers are now worse off than those working in the manufacturing sector.” Indeed, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), approximately 3.5 out of every 100 workers in retail sustained an on-the-job injury in 2018. The majority of those injuries were nonfatal, but they nonetheless resulted in many missed days of work with debilitating consequences for the injured workers.
What kinds of injuries are most common in retail jobs? The BLS data suggests that the following are some of the most commonly reported nonfatal injuries among retail workers:
- Sprains;
- Tears;
- Lacerations;
- Contusions;
- Broken bones;
- Pain and soreness; and
- Overexertion injuries.
Many retail work injuries happen as a result of slips and falls, as well as falling store products. Some of the specific types of retail workplaces where injuries occur most commonly include home furniture stores and retail stores selling home furnishing and décor more broadly, tire supercenters, stores selling used merchandise, stores selling building materials, and pet supply stores. In fact, according to the article, about 7 out of every 100 workers in a pet supply store suffers a nonfatal injury in a given year.
Seeking Compensation for a Retail Work Injury in Florida
If you sustain an injury while working at a retail establishment in Florida, regardless of whether you are a part-time or full-time worker, you can seek workers’ compensation benefits just as you would at any other job.
You will begin the process by reporting the accident and job-related injury to your employer within 30 days from the date of the accident, but ideally as soon as possible. You should speak with your employer at that time about seeking medical care from an approved healthcare provider. As soon as you can, you should also seek advice from an experienced Pompano Beach workers’ compensation lawyer about getting started on your claim for financial compensation.
Contact a Pompano Beach Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Do you need assistance filing a workers’ compensation claim after a retail job injury? Our experienced Pompano Beach workers’ compensation attorneys can assist you. Contact the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. today to get started.
Resource:
bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/rate-and-number-of-workplace-injuries-and-illnesses-in-retail-trade-increased-in-2018.htm
