Georgia residents who work at Amazon warehouses are probably familiar with the string of allegations that have been made against the online retail giant. In April 2018, a 43-year-old former employee at a warehouse in Florida filed a lawsuit alleging that he was fired after suffering a back injury on the job. The firing purportedly took place before Amazon Human Resources could authorize a doctor visit.
The plaintiff states that the managers failed to file a workers’ compensation claim when the injury was reported. Furthermore, the managers allegedly told him that he was too young to have a back condition. Another former employee in Pennsylvania is suing the corporation for being fired five weeks after a workplace injury. Others report that they had to quit because the warehouse environment was causing them to suffer excessive fatigue and exhaustion.
Amazon runs more than 140 fulfillment centers in the U.S. and employs more than 560,000 people across the world. However, those employees who are injured are often being treated in ways that leave them without income, benefits or work opportunities.
In April 2018, the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health added the corporation to its “dirty dozen” list of the most dangerous places to work in America. Seven workers have died in Amazon warehouses since 2013, with three killed within five weeks of each other in 2017.
A workers’ compensation claim, if successful, can cover an injured worker’s medical expenses and lost wages in addition to short- or long-term disability leave. However, it might be a good idea for victims to hire a lawyer. An attorney could help show that the reported injuries are work related.