Product loading and unloading is a crucial part of many businesses, and a lot of warehouses, retail stores and factories have a loading bay to help with this process. These loading bays can make it easier for workers to load and unload goods, but due to their structure, they can also lead to worker injuries if oversights or missteps occur. Below, we take a closer look at some common loading dock injuries and explain how you can get compensation if you suffer an injury in a loading bay.
Common Loading Dock Injuries
Loading docks are all a little different in shape and structure, but many share a similar feature in that they have a lowered ramp that a truck driver can back into so that product can be moved directly off a truck into the building without needing to lift or lower the goods. They are often designed so workers can walk right from their ramp onto the parked truck’s bed without going up or down a level. This makes it easier to remove product with a dolly or a forklift.
However, they also have some inherent dangers. Since the bay needs to be built at a level that would match a truck bed’s floor height, they are usually built at least four feet off the ground. When the truck isn’t present, they bay is essentially a four foot concrete pit, which is why falls are typically the most common type of injury we see in a loading dock. Other types of loading dock injuries include:
- Backup accidents or being struck by a reversing semi.
- Injuries from improperly secured loads.
- Forklift-related injuries.
- Overstress injuries.
- Hazardous chemical exposure.
The good news is that injuries suffered in a loading dock are compensable by workers’ compensation. But how should you go about getting compensation for your injuries?
Getting Compensation For Loading Bay Injuries
If you are injured in a loading bay or while loading or unloading products, the first thing you should do is report the injury to your supervisor. If you don’t tell them about the injury, the insurance company is going to have no record of your accident. From there, you need to seek medical attention. If you’re going to be pursuing a claim, you need to have medical evidence of an injury or disability, and you can’t get that without visiting a doctor.
Once you’ve checked those two boxes, your next move needs to be calling a workers’ compensation injury firm like Hey Workers. Odds are you’re going to get some pushback from your employer or their insurance company, so it’s nice to know that you’ve got someone in your corner fighting for your rights. We can also help take some of the stress out of the filing process. We’ll handle all the legal forms and strengthen your case as best we can so you just need to focus on your health.
Not only can we help simplify the process, but research has shown that individuals who work with a workers’ compensation lawyer tend to get much larger payouts, which oftentimes more than pays for the lawyer’s services. If we can take some stress out of your life and get you a bigger award amount, there’s no reason not to call our firm after a loading bay accident. So if you’ve been injured during the loading or unloading process and want some help with your Minnesota injury claim, look no further than the experienced experts at Hey Workers. Give our firm a call today at 844-439-9675.
