warehouse worker injury

Warehouse workers in South Carolina face numerous hazards, and, unfortunately, many workers sustain injuries on the job. When workplace accidents occur, the South Carolina workers’ compensation lawyers at Joye Law Firm are here to help. Our practice is focused in part on helping injured and disabled workers in Charleston, Columbia, Myrtle Beach, and Clinton receive the full workers’ compensation benefits available by law. Our experienced S.C. workers’ compensation attorneys have helped injured workers appeal denied claims after the workers sustained injuries in warehouse accidents.

If you have been injured while working in a warehouse in South Carolina, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. South Carolina workers’ compensation laws are designed to protect employees who suffer certain workplace injuries. Workers’ compensation provides an injured warehouse worker with coverage for medical care and rehabilitation, partial replacement of your wages while you cannot work and disability payments.

If you were injured in a work-related accident at a warehouse, call Joye Law Firm today at (877) 941-1019 or contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.

Common Work Injuries for Warehouse Employees

Warehouse workers frequently lift and move loads of stock and freight around warehouses and onto trucks. They frequently work in coordination with material moving machine operators, such as conveyor belt operators and forklift drivers. The work is physically demanding. Common injuries suffered by warehouse workers in South Carolina include:

There are numerous types of injuries that can occur in a warehouse, while moving heavy loads and working around motorized equipment and vehicles. Regardless of how the injury occurred or how the accident occurred, your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance should cover the cost of medical treatment and other benefits.

Common Causes of Warehouse Injuries in South Carolina

Warehouse workers in South Carolina can be injured in a variety of ways, including:

Slip and fall injuries – Slip and fall injuries can occur when warehouse workers slip on floor surfaces or fall off loading docks, walkways, or elevated platforms. Various hazards can cause slip and fall accidents, including:

  • Liquid spills
  • Electrical cords and hoses lying across walkways
  • Cluttered aisles

Slips, trips, and falls result in accidental deaths and thousands of injuries every year.

Forklift accidents – Forklifts are commonly used in warehouses to move, raise, and lower objects. Unfortunately, accidents involving forklifts are a leading cause of injuries in warehouses. One of the most prevalent causes of forklift-related fatalities and serious injuries is when the forklift overturns and crushes the worker. Forklifts also can cause severe injury to warehouse workers who are working in the vicinity of a forklift.

Forklift accidents often occur due to poor training and unsafe operational use. It’s very important that workers who operate a forklift have the necessary certification and proper training. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), forklift accidents are responsible for about 100 deaths and nearly 100,000 injuries each year nationwide.

Loading dock injuries – Loading docks are one of the most dangerous places in a warehouse. Accidents that occur at the loading bays are often serious or even fatal due to the weight and size of the cargo involved. Many loading dock injury victims suffer from broken bones, torn ligaments and head injuries, which can keep them from ever returning to work at a warehouse again.

Accident scenarios common to loading docks include:

  • A pallet tipping over because it is improperly loaded and falls onto a worker
  • Falls from the dock platform
  • A forklift dropping heavy objects or falling off a loading dock
  • Being struck by a falling load
  • A large load blocking a forklift operator’s view
  • Being struck by a truck that is backing up
  • Getting pinned between a truck or forklift and a wall
  • A malfunctioning overhead gate or door that crushes a worker
  • Fingers being crushed by a loading dock leveler

Overexertion injuries – Too much stress on the body is a common cause of warehouse injuries. Overexertion often happens when a worker tries to lift too much weight. The shoulders and back are most likely to be injured when a worker overexerts himself or herself. Along with lifting, pushing, pulling, and carrying are common causes of overexertion injuries.

Repetitive stress injuries – These injuries stem from the repetitive nature of the work that many warehouse workers perform. Repetitive motion and stress injuries can cause agonizing pain. Many warehouse workers experience pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the back, neck, shoulders, arms, and wrists. These symptoms may begin gradually and be ignored initially. But, if they are not given the necessary attention, the symptoms can get worse worsen and become debilitating. Common repetitive stress conditions include carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, and De Quervain’s syndrome (wrist).

Fires and explosions – Depending on the type of warehouse, there may be flammable materials or fluids present that could start a fire. It’s critical that employers regularly check for potential fire hazards. Warehouse fires are particularly dangerous because they often lead to explosions.

Falling from heights and falling objects – To maximize space, warehouses will stack products so high that it requires forklifts and ladders to remove the products from the shelves. Workers can fall from ladders and forklifts while trying to reach products. This can cause broken bones, sprains, and/or head injuries. Objects falling from high shelves are also are a major hazard.

How a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Can Help

If you’ve been injured on the job at a warehouse, you may be unable to work and facing a lengthy recovery depending on the severity of the injury. You and your family may struggle to make ends meet without the income your warehouse job provides. If you have been injured on the job and you’re having difficulty receiving workers’ compensation benefits, our experienced workers’ comp attorneys at Joye Law Firm are ready to offer guidance based on the experience of assisting many injured workers.

The aftermath of a warehouse accident can be challenging. You may have already received a denial letter regarding your workers’ compensation claim. Don’t get discouraged. Speak with our skilled and compassionate lawyers today about how to get the full benefits you need and deserve.

Don’t assume that your employer’s insurance company will give you a fair deal after your warehouse injury. Workers’ compensation insurance company lawyers may be involved in trying to diminish your claim or minimize any payment. You need an attorney to stand up for your best interests. If your employer or their workers’ compensation insurance lawyers deny your claim, the South Carolina workers’ compensation attorneys at Joye Law Firm can help.

If you need help filing your workers’ compensation claim or have questions about appealing a denied claim, contact a warehouse injury lawyer today to schedule a free and confidential consultation. We will review the details of your accident and discuss the appropriate steps to seek the benefits available to you.

Warehouse Injury Statistics

Consider the following statistics:

  • In 2018, there were 26 fatalities at storage facilities and warehouses in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  • The rate of recordable cases of nonfatal illnesses and injuries for warehouses and storage facilities in 2018 was 5.1 per every 100 full-time employees. This is significantly higher than the average for all industries.
  • Work-related injuries that involved missing workdays, working with job restrictions, or transfers were 3.9 per 100 full-time employees at warehouses and storage facilities.
  • The top five ways and places for warehouse injuries to occur are loading docks, forklifts, conveyor belts, material storage and during manual handling.
  • On the list of preventable fatal injuries, the category of warehousing and transportation ranked No. 2 overall (after construction), according to the National Safety Council.
  • According to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of “days away from work” cases in warehousing increased by almost 3,000 cases to 17,390 total cases in 2017. That same report said that incidents resulting in overexertion and bodily reaction rose to 8,310, an increase of 1,350 cases from the previous year.

Warehouse workers often face great risk to their safety. When measures aren’t taken to fully protect their well-being, they shouldn’t have to suffer the consequences alone. When tragedy strikes, an experienced attorney can work to secure the compensation you’re owed.

Contact a South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

warehouse worker with back injuries as a result of repetitive motionIf you are a warehouse worker in South Carolina and have been injured on the job, we understand that you may have a challenging road ahead. It may be months before you can return to work – if you can at all. You may no longer be unable to handle the physical demands of your warehouse job after a serious injury. Without workers’ compensation benefits, you may face financial difficulty.

The attorneys of Joye Law Firm are ready to help you with your South Carolina workers’ compensation claim. With our knowledgeable and compassionate lawyers handling your case, you can rest assured that you are in good hands.

Joye Law Firm has been in business for more than 50 years assisting injured people in South Carolina. In recognition of the legal representation we have provided our clients, we have received numerous honors. We’ve been peer-rated by Martindale-Hubbell for the highest level of professional excellence, and we were named as a Best Law Firm by U.S. News & World Report.

If your warehouse injury workers’ compensation claim has been denied, don’t lose hope. The South Carolina workers’ compensation attorneys at Joye Law Firm can help you seek the full benefits available by law. If you are looking to appeal a denied claim or believe that you are not receiving all the benefits you should be provided, contact Joye Law Firm today at (877) 941-1019 to schedule a free and confidential consultation. We will review your warehouse accident claim and discuss how we can get the benefits you need.