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Warehouse workers at Amazon face similar hazards to workers in any other warehouse. However, according to one study, Amazon workers get injured more than twice as many times as workers in other warehouse jobs. In 2021, there were more than 34,000 serious injuries to employees while on the job at Amazon facilities. Among all warehouse workers in the United States, Amazon employees make up roughly one-third of these workers, but nearly half of all injuries (49%)  happened at Amazon facilities.
Preparing for a car accident claim can be as simple as providing police reports and medical records from the post-accident care you’ve received. It can also become quite complicated, depending on the circumstances of the accident and how difficult the insurance company has decided to be in defending its profits. Chicago car accident attorneys will be able to give you the best possible chance of receiving a settlement that comes close to making you whole financially.
Like any personal injury lawsuit, you’ll first need to prove that another person or business entity is responsible for your injuries and was negligent. Where a case becomes more complicated for a self-employed person is in the calculation of lost wages. If you work for someone else, either as an hourly or salaried employee, it is rather straightforward to calculate how many hours or days of work you lost due to your injuries and provide a letter stating what regular compensation and bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation you missed out on. You can also include any sick, vacation, or bonus days you had to use during your hospitalization and recovery. If you are self-employed, the process becomes more complicated.
If you were injured in a trucking accident in Chicago, Berwyn, Oak Lawn, Cicero, or a nearby community, call the injury attorneys at Lloyd Miller Law for a free consultation.

Call: 773-838-8100

Workers’ Compensation and Truck Accidents: We Found the Perfect Marriage!

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Truck wreck

Grazian and Volpe can’t write enough about trucking companies and shippers disregarding or attempting to circumvent state and federal laws and regulations aimed at preventing truck accidents. We simply can’t avoid advocating for workers’ injured on the job who are having difficulty with their workers’ compensation claims certainly not helped by the State of Illinois and its business lobby friends.

When news of a recent settlement crossed my desk, we gave a cheer for a rare win for the good guys. A case where the issue of the abuse of the “independent contractor” appellation and trucking companies has married the issue of  companies avoiding the  payment for workers’ compensation benefits.

The case involved the propriety of a trucking company classifying a group of drivers as “independent contractors”. This misclassification allowed the trucking company to be relieved of the obligation to reimburse the drivers for any and all employment claims. The trucking company thus avoided allowing required meal and rest breaks, keeping itemized wage statements and paying for workers’ compensation insurance. The drivers claimed that they were employees as the trucking company controlled the services performed by the drivers as to what was to be performed and the manner in which it was performed. The drivers prevailed and the company was compelled to create a large settlement fund to guaranty any workers’ claims.

Not only does this settlement set an an example for employers attempting to avoid paying for workers’ compensation insurance benefits but also those companies that improperly label workers as “independent contractors” but; it also serves to prevent trucking companies and shippers from avoiding the liabilities of negligent, impaired or fatigued drivers who ignore safety laws and regulations by claiming that they have no responsibility for the independent contractors they retain (see September 21, 2011 “Is the Shipper Liable?”)

The Chicago truck accident and Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers at Grazian and Volpe are always happy to report verdict, settlements and laws that benefit our clientele who have been injured at work or in life. In over 25 years of workers, injury and accident practice we have never seen a case which so beautifully combines the pursuit of driver safety and the prevention of truck accidents with the assurance of benefits to workers. Our hats off to these brave truck drivers for pursuing their rights to the benefit of workers and highway safety!

About the Author

Kurt D. Lloyd is a plaintiff’s trial lawyer who focuses on medical malpractice and other catastrophic injury cases. He lives in Chicago and represents injured clients throughout Illinois. He is also the founder of Lloyd Law Group, Ltd.

Chicago accident lawyer Kurt D. Lloyd