Los Angeles Amazon Warehouse Injury Lawyer
Amazon is a global ecommerce giant that employs over 1.5 million people worldwide. To fulfill the millions of orders that are placed by customers each day, Amazon stores products in thousands of warehouses. Working in these warehouses involves loading and unloading products and pulling, packing and shipping customer orders.
Unfortunately, this work can be dangerous for Amazon employees. In an unsafe Amazon warehouse environment, an employee could suffer many injuries in preventable accidents, such as repetitive motion injuries from bending and twisting or broken bones from a slip and fall accident.
At Rose, Klein & Marias LLP, our Los Angeles personal injury lawyers represent Amazon workers who have been injured in warehouses and fulfillment centers. If you or a loved one has been injured in an Amazon warehouse in Southern California, contact us at (866) 679-7512 for a free case consultation.
You may be eligible for financial compensation for your medical bills, lost wages and other losses. We can help you file a workers’ compensation insurance claim against Amazon and/or a personal injury lawsuit – whichever tactic is necessary for you to achieve justice and a fair financial recovery. Call today.
Why Choose Us for Your Los Angeles Amazon Warehouse Injury Case?
- We work tirelessly to obtain top results for each of our clients. Our Amazon workplace injury attorneys are prepared to go to trial and take on major corporations in pursuit of maximum compensation.
- Our lawyers case about their clients and will always put you first. We will communicate with you often as part of our commitment to the attorney-client relationship. Your lawyer will pursue your specific case goals with personalized strategies.
- With our contingency fee payment arrangement, you will pay us $0 upfront. Your Amazon workplace injury lawyer in Los Angeles will not charge for legal services unless and until you win your case.
How an Amazon Warehouse Injury Lawyer Can Help
If you get injured while working in an Amazon warehouse, you may not know where to turn for help and advice that you can trust. Despite being a multibillion-dollar corporation, Amazon will want to protect its profits first during an injury claim filed by an employee. This can lead to challenges trying to obtain fair financial compensation for your injuries – especially if you or a loved one was severely injured. An attorney can help you navigate this complex legal process.
An experienced personal injury lawyer can provide services such as:
- Conducting a thorough investigation of your warehouse or fulfillment center accident.
- Interviewing witnesses and collecting all available evidence.
- Determining liability and identifying the at-fault party or parties (defendants).
- Explaining your legal options as an injured Amazon worker in Los Angeles.
- Hiring medical experts and workplace accident reconstruction specialists to support your case.
- Negotiating a fair and full settlement with an insurance company on your behalf.
- Taking your Amazon warehouse injury claim to trial in LA County, if necessary.
Throughout the legal process, your lawyer will be there for you to provide compassionate and effective legal support. At Rose, Klein & Marias LLP, we are dedicated to advocating for the rights of workers who have suffered injuries while in Amazon fulfillment centers. We will guide you carefully through the legal process while making sure you have everything you need during this difficult time.
Steps to Take After an Amazon Warehouse Accident
If you get injured while working in an Amazon warehouse or fulfillment center, take the following steps to protect your health and legal interests as much as possible:
- Seek medical treatment immediately. Your physical health and safety are top priority. Obtain professional medical care without delay.
- Report the accident to your supervisor. Request an official accident report that should include the time, date and circumstances surrounding your injury.
- Take pictures. Take photos and videos of the scene of the warehouse accident, being sure to capture any hazard that may have contributed to your injury.
- Obtain witness statements. If anyone saw your accident take place, collect their contact information and written statements that describe what they saw.
- Collect evidence. Look for surveillance cameras in the warehouse that may have recorded your accident. Keep any evidence related to the incident, such as damaged equipment.
- Follow your doctor’s medical advice. While you heal from your injuries, follow the treatment plan recommended by your doctor. Keep copies of your medical records.
- Get legal advice. Before you file a workers’ compensation insurance claim or injury lawsuit, consult with an attorney about your legal rights and options.
- File a claim. When you’re ready, work with an attorney to file the right type of claim for your situation. Don’t wait, as you could risk missing your filing deadline.
- Don’t rush into a fast settlement. Once you accept a settlement, you cannot renegotiate for a higher amount. Make sure the offer is fair and reasonable before agreeing.
- Consider other legal options. If someone else’s negligence contributed to your warehouse accident, you may have grounds for a lawsuit claim instead of only insurance benefits.
Explore your options with a lawyer before making any decisions. Rose, Klein & Marias LLP can help you with every task you need to take after a harmful Amazon warehouse accident.
Top Causes of Amazon Warehouse Injuries
Understanding your financial recovery options after an Amazon warehouse accident requires learning why the incident occurred. While you do not need to prove fault for a workers’ compensation claim in California, it is necessary if you wish to pursue an injury case. Most warehouse and other workplace accidents can be prevented and are caused by human errors.
Common issues associated with Amazon warehouse and fulfillment center incidents include:
- A lack of personal protective equipment, such as back braces
- Car accidents involving Amazon delivery drivers
- Careless and reckless warehouse employees
- Caught in or between objects or equipment
- Cluttered and crowded warehouse floors
- Forklift accidents
- Inadequate worker safety training
- Poorly maintained equipment or machinery
- Precariously stacked boxes
- Pressure from supervisors to work faster
- Slip and fall accidents
- Slippery, waxy or oily floors
- Stress, overexertion and repetitive movements
- Struck-by falling object incidents
- Truck accidents
An Amazon warehouse is a fast-paced work environment due to high consumer demand. If warehouse managers and supervisors do not follow the proper safety protocols, these conditions can place warehouse employees at a heightened risk of injury. Employee safety should be the top priority in all dangerous warehouse environments.
What Are the Most Common Injuries Suffered in Amazon Warehouses?
Injury rates among Amazon warehouse workers are higher than previously thought, according to a national study conducted by the Center for Urban Economic Development at the University of Illinois Chicago. This study found that 51 percent of workers who had been with the company for at least three years reported being injured while working at an Amazon warehouse.
The following are types of Amazon warehouse injuries involved in worker complaints:
- Back injuries
- Broken bones
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cuts and lacerations
- Dislocations
- Exhaustion
- Head injuries
- Herniated and ruptured disks
- Muscle tears and strains
- Musculoskeletal injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Wrongful death
Even minor workplace injuries in Amazon warehouses and fulfillment centers can lead to expensive hospital bills, lost wages from having to take time off work, and pain and suffering experienced by the employee. Severe injuries can lead to an even longer recovery process with additional expenses.
How to Pursue Compensation for an Amazon Warehouse Injury in Los Angeles
If you sustained an injury while working in an Amazon warehouse, it is critical to fully understand your rights and the avenues that may be available to you for seeking compensation. Under California’s workers’ compensation program and personal injury laws, you may have more than one outlet for a monetary recovery.
Your options might include:
- A workers’ compensation insurance claim: a no-fault claim filed with Amazon’s workers’ compensation insurance provider that does not require proof of negligence. The tradeoff is that less compensation is available than in a personal injury claim, in most cases. Workers’ compensation coverage generally includes medical care, partial lost wages, disability benefits, vocational rehabilitation, supplemental job displacement benefits and death benefits.
- A personal injury lawsuit: you may have grounds to sue Amazon if the company’s negligence caused or contributed to your workplace incident. If Amazon failed to ensure the reasonable safety of its warehouse jobs, the corporation could be held directly liable for a workplace injury. A personal injury lawsuit can result in compensation for medical bills, 100 percent of lost wages, and pain and suffering.
- A third-party claim and workers’ comp: while you cannot sue Amazon after accepting a workers’ comp settlement, you can still file a lawsuit against a third party, such as a contractor or equipment manufacturer. If someone other than Amazon is responsible for injuring you as a warehouse worker, filing both types of compensation claims could provide you with the maximum financial recovery.
It is important to discuss your rights with our workers’ comp attorneys before making any decisions. Our Los Angeles workers’ compensation lawyers can review your case and strategize which route is right for you: the workers’ compensation process, a personal injury lawsuit, or both. You can trust an attorney to pursue the best possible outcome for your workplace injury case.
Proving Negligence in an Amazon Warehouse Accident Claim
Under California’s workers’ compensation system, any losses suffered by an employee who was injured within the course and scope of his or her employment is eligible for insurance benefits. All employers in the state, including Amazon, are required to maintain workers’ comp insurance to cover qualifying workers. This type of insurance allows you to seek compensation for your damages without having to prove negligence or pursue litigation against Amazon.
If an attorney recommends that you sue Amazon or a third party for your warehouse accident instead due to the elements of your case, however, a lawyer can help you craft your claim. As the filing party or plaintiff, your side of the case is responsible for meeting the burden of proof to win a personal injury lawsuit. The burden of proof is a “preponderance of the evidence,” also known as “more likely than not.”
Proving negligence in an Amazon warehouse accident case requires evidence of four elements: 1) the defendant owed you a duty of care, 2) the defendant breached the duty of care, 3) the defendant’s act or omission caused your injuries, and 4) you suffered specific damages as an outcome. A personal injury law firm can help you preserve and gather evidence to support a negligence claim.
What if Amazon Retaliates Against Me for Filing an Injury Claim?
It is against the law for an employer – including Amazon – to retaliate against its employees for filing a workers’ compensation claim. If you lost your job at an Amazon warehouse or faced other adverse employment action after filing for workers’ comp, you may be a victim of retaliation. Even in an “at-will” state such as California, employers cannot terminate a worker’s employment for filing workers’ comp insurance claims.
Amazon also cannot fire a worker for reporting dangerous work conditions to supervisors, managers or federal safety administrations such as OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration). If an Amazon warehouse does not adhere to federal safety regulations and a complaint is filed with OSHA to investigate the alleged violation, Amazon cannot retaliate by terminating the worker’s employment.
If you believe you are a victim of retaliation by Amazon after you reported safety hazards in a warehouse or fulfillment center in Los Angeles, contact our attorneys. You may be entitled to financial compensation from Amazon for wrongful termination or another unlawful example of retaliation. We can help you search for evidence of retaliation and file a lawsuit against Amazon for your related damages.
Time Limit to File an Amazon Warehouse Injury Claim in Los Angeles
Strict deadlines apply to a worker’s ability to file an injury claim after an Amazon warehouse accident in California. To file a workers’ compensation claim, you must notify your employer of the incident within at least 30 days. Then, the workers’ compensation insurance claim must be filed within one year of the incident.
If you intend to file a personal injury claim, you will have two years from the date that your Amazon warehouse injuries arose or were discovered. This is the standard statute of limitations on personal injury cases in the State of California. Contact a personal injury law firm right away about a potential claim to avoid missing your filing time limit.
Contact an Experienced Los Angeles Amazon Warehouse Injury Lawyer Today
If you or someone you love recently suffered an injury at an Amazon warehouse or fulfillment center in Los Angeles, California, don’t hesitate to contact us for assistance. The attorneys at Rose, Klein & Marias LLP are prepared to assist you with a workers’ compensation claim or personal injury lawsuit. We will work relentlessly to seek justice and fair financial compensation for your warehouse injuries.
For more information about your specific case, call (866) 679-7512 or use our online contact form anytime to request a free consultation.