Chicago, Illinois UPS Employee Workers Compensation Claims Lawyer

Were you a UPS employee injured while on the job? If so, you may be entitled to monetary compensation through a workers’ compensation claim. However, filing a claim can be confusing and overwhelming. You may not know where to start or what steps to take.

At the Law Offices of Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, our personal injury lawyers have experience handling workers’ compensation claims for UPS employees. We will guide you through the process every step of the way and help you obtain the maximum amount of compensation to which you are entitled.

Contact our Chicago, Illinois workers’ compensation attorneys at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form today for immediate legal advice and schedule a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information you share with your workers’ compensation attorney remains private through an attorney-client relationship.

UPS is one of the world’s largest shipping logistics companies providing pickup and delivery service of envelopes, packages, and parcels to deliver to nearly any global destination.

Company employees include cross-country truckers, local delivery drivers, package sorters, dockworkers, airline crews, etc. Employees are expected to keep up in the fast-paced workplace to ensure that every package arrives at its destination on time as guaranteed to the consumer.

Nearly every UPS employee is required to handle freight of varying sizes using various equipment from forklifts, pallet jacks, hand trucks, and another lifting/carrying tools.

The UPS worker will use pallets, straps, rope, tape, and other products to secure the loads during transport to bundle loose loads together.

Like many hectic work environments, UPS workers are often paid too low a wage for the extent of manual labor required to fulfill the job’s duties.

If you or a family member was injured while working for UPS, contact the Illinois workers’ compensation attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC for a free review of your legal rights, potential workers’ comp benefits, and options.

UPS Worker Hazards

Excessive levels of noise, working under dangerous weather conditions, and exposure to toxic exhaust and fumes are just some of the serious work hazards of a UPS employee. In addition, many UPS employees must work extremely long hours during seasonal holidays, which can lead to serious fatigue, mishaps, and accidents with injuries.

The chaotic work environment can cause a quick turnover of UPS employees during the busiest time of the year.

Research data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed a significantly high rate of non-lethal injuries and fatalities occurring on the job in various occupations at UPS.

These include accidents that occur while transporting parcels and envelopes across the country, at loading docks, and when drivers are involved in crashes in urban and rural environments en route to deliver packages.

In 2019, 756 truck drivers lost their lives while crisscrossing the nation, and another approximately 65,000 truckers were injured. Many of these long haulers work for delivery companies like UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.

Some of the common hazards and dangerous scenarios UPS employees face on the job every day include:

• Falling off trailers, pallets, and ladders while loading, unloading, and handling packages leads to traumatic brain injuries, back injuries, knee injuries, and spinal cord damage.
• Slipping, tripping, and falling on slippery floor surfaces and icy and wet loading docks, sidewalks, and driveways.
• Accidents involving fallen are overturned heavy cargo loads that shift when the trailer or delivery truck moves.
• Accidents are caused by blown tires, slippery roads, or faulty truck equipment.
• Unexpected exposure to hazardous chemicals that cause explosions, chemical burns, and other injuries requiring immediate medical treatment

UPS Employees’ Wages

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics 2016, data concerning the employment statistics of the previous year, 26,730 UPS workers were on the job in the Chicago, Naperville, and Arlington Heights metropolitan areas.

On average, UPS workers in northeastern Illinois earn $36,580 every year (mean wage), $70.59 per hour. The wage is significantly higher than the national average. See Chart

UPS Workers’ Fatalities and Injuries

Acts of violence that result in serious injuries and fatalities are all too common occurrences at UPS facilities and other logistics companies in the United States. As a result, UPS workers are often placed in dangerous scenarios where disgruntled employees, angry customers, and others react violently to appease their sense of injustice.

Below is a small sample of some of the life and death cases that exposed UPS employees to dangerous situations.

• Case 1: DeKalb County, Georgia – A 48-year-old UPS worker died after being hit by a semi-tractor trailer in December 2017 while working at the company’s loading dock. Unfortunately, the incident occurred while the truck was backing up with the trailer toward the dock door. The truck driver was unaware he had hit the 17-year veteran worker until after the work accident. EMT responders transported the victim in critical condition to the local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
• Case 2: Bedford Park, Illinois – A Chicago area UPS worker suffered serious injuries while working at the Bedford Park facility in October 2017. First responders extricated the employee who was trapped by a semi-tractor trailer. However, it took fire officials approximately one hour to remove and transport the worker by helicopter to the local hospital.
• Case 3: San Antonio, Texas – A 59-year-old UPS truck driver died after being pinned under the tires of a double trailer at the northeast side UPS facility in October 2017. According to the initial report, the trucker was loading parcels inside the tractor-trailer that began moving unexpectedly just before sunrise. The driver attempted to stop the truck from backing up but was pinned under the trailer’s tire. First responders found the unidentified truck driver dead at the scene.

In nearly all cases, these incidents could have been prevented had the company taken a proactive stance on providing security to employees exposed to angry, violent gunman shooting in an enclosed environment.

Staying Safe at UPS

There are effective steps that every UPS worker can take to minimize the potential risk of suffering serious injuries or death while on the job.

However, most of the steps require a common-sense approach to identifying potential hazards and dangerous scenarios before they cause a workplace injury or fatality.

These steps include:

• Inspect the Truck– Perform a routine vehicle inspection before the nationwide trucker or local delivery driver leaves the facility. This effort could identify any serious hazard or unsafe condition to avoid a catastrophic workplace accident.
• Identify Any Potential Hazards, including slippery surfaces, icy sidewalks, or wet floors, to avoid back and knee injuries.
• Take Numerous Breaks to minimize fatigue and conserve necessary strength throughout the workday.
• Wear Support Footwear– Proper footwear constructed with support and nonskid soles can ensure adequate traction when walking down a loading ramp or treading across a slippery surface.
• Use Proper Landing Gear– Whenever loading and unloading cargo from the back of a semi-tractor trailer, it is crucial to ensure that the dock landing gear is properly installed before using the forklift.
• Stay Clear of the Forklift– Some UPS docks and storage areas are extremely noisy with equipment unloading trucks, sorting packages, and loading delivery vehicles.
• Secure the Cargo– A semi-truck with a loaded trailer full of cargo should never be allowed to leave the dock area until the load has been fully secured using straps, bars, or lockdown equipment.
• Follow Safe Defensive Driving Procedures– Delivery truck drivers, long-haul truckers, and airline pilots are required to remain alert to avoid catastrophic events. Also, other steps can be taken to maximize defensive driving that includes:
  • Never operate the vehicle without wearing a safety or seat belt.
  • Avoid tailgating
  • Never speed
  • Never cause a distraction
• Learn How to Avoid Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)– Many UPS workers are required to perform repetitive motion tasks throughout the day that require working in awkward positions, bending, twisting, stretching, or overreaching. Common symptoms associated with MDS include carpal tunnel syndrome, serious back injury, and nerve damage requiring medical treatment.

Every UPS worker should undergo a safety training program that helps identify hazardous conditions, threats of violence, or injuries caused by improper use of available equipment.

The management should also train employees on forklifts and pallet jacks to maximize productivity while minimizing injuries caused by handling awkward size boxes and weight loads.

A failure to provide employees with adequate training and proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) could serve as the basis of UPS workers’ compensation claims or personal injury lawsuits to ensure that the injured UPS worker receives adequate monetary recovery for their damages.

Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim

Every UPS package handler, worker, or driver injured on the job can file for workers’ compensation benefits. Like all major corporations, United Parcel Service (UPS) must provide workplace injury benefits to the state’s workers’ compensation system.

However, filing for workers’ compensation benefits can be challenging. There are numerous system deadlines that, if the employer misses them, could result in a claim that is automatically denied.

Injured workers must apply all supporting documentation when submitting a worker’s claim into the no-fault system for a work-related accident.

In addition, workers should provide as much detail as possible that accurately describes the accident or occupational illness for benefits paid to the employee’s insurance company, including an accident report and medical records.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Medical Expenses and Lost Wages

Typically, UPS workers’ compensation benefits will pay the injured worker weekly or bi-weekly payments for their workplace accident that could include:

• Past medical bills
• Ongoing hospital and medical expenses
• Funds for future medical care, rehabilitation, and treatment
• Temporary total disability payments
• Permanent disability payments

In addition to UPS workers’ compensation claims, injured workers receive benefits when third parties are involved.

Filing Third-Party Claims

Some injured employees working for UPS can obtain additional compensation through third-party claims for their work injury. These claims are typically filed by personal injury lawyers who identify additional defendants that might also be responsible for workplace injuries.

Potential defendants could include:

• A UPS employer providing hazardous working conditions
• Reckless drivers crashing into a UPS trucker or package car driver
• A delivery van manufacturer selling a defective product led to a UPS work injury

Are You Ready to Get Started on Your Compensation Claim Against UPS?

Our attorneys help injured UPS workers obtain compensation under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act and through civil lawsuits. Contact the personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers (888-424-5757) for a free consultation.

If you have been injured in a work accident, never gamble with your family’s future and financial security.

Our workers’ compensation attorneys can ensure you are treated fairly and receive all available benefits through a UPS workers’ compensation claim and possibly through other third parties that might also be responsible for your damages.

Your attorney can ensure that you file all the necessary documentation in the appropriate Illinois county courthouse with legal representation. The law firm working on your behalf will build a case, negotiate a settlement, or take your claim to trial.

Contact a Chicago, Illinois UPS Workers Compensation & Injury Law Firm

Our workers’ compensation law firm will provide immediate legal representation without any upfront payment or fee. Your legal fees are paid only if our attorneys successfully resolve your compensation case through a jury trial award or negotiated out-of-court settlement on your behalf.

We guarantee you pay us only if your workers’ compensation attorney obtains financial compensation for you!

Resources:

• Truck Drivers and Sales Workers
• UPS worker dies in a loading dock accident
• UPS worker kills three co-workers San Francisco