Big department stores like K-Mart can be injury prone. They are often very busy and employees are expected to do different jobs while working at the store. If you work for K-Mart and are injured while at work, you can claim compensation by filing a workers’ compensation claim. All large employers like K-Mart are required to take out workers’ compensation insurance to protect their employees from the most expensive downside of having an accident while at work. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault type of insurance so employees do not have to prove that their employer was negligent like they might have to do for a personal injury claim. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney can help you with a difficult claim. K-Mart: Company Profile K-Mart is a chain of large department stores operating nationwide. It has had mixed fortunes over the last two decades having had to declare bankruptcy twice, once under its own brand name and the other as Sears, which continues to be the parent company. K-Mart, or at least its commercial predecessor, was first established by S.S. Kresge, a traveling salesman, who was impressed by the success of variety store entrepreneur, F.W. Woolworth in the 1880s. The first real K-Mart didn’t get off the ground until 1962. K-Mart hit its peak in 1994 when there were over 2,300 stores operating under the K-mart banner. A chain of discounted products stores with the same name exists in Australia, but is unrelated to the U.S. company. Potential Dangers / Injuries Working For K-Mart Workers who work for K-Mart are exposed to a variety of risks from warehouse lifting and machinery accidents to shop floor slips, trips and falls. K-mart delivery workers face the same sorts of vehicle accidents as any other commercial driver. Typical injuries at K-Mart stores include: back and head injuries from slip, trip and fall injuries; warehouse injuries caused by entanglement in moving machinery; back strain and spinal injuries from heavy lifting of cartons and boxes; broken bones after an awkward fall; strained muscles, sprained ankles and wrists after a slip and fall or trip and fall accident. Talk to a Lawyer Workers’ compensation claims can surprisingly be more difficult than you might think. You normally can’t just ask for compensation and sit back to wait for it. There are time limits to consider and there must be supporting documentation to show that the injuries were caused on the job and not off it. In all cases, it can be worthwhile discussing the workplace injury with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney before actually filing a claim. This can save a lot of time because submitting a claim without the supporting documentation of the right type can lead to a claim being denied. An attorney can help with a denied claim as well. In this case, unless a simple administrative mistake has been made, the employee will have to make an appeal against the decision by the insurer. This can be quite a long process and you will need legal help to succeed. To get this help, complete the Free Case Evaluation on this page. *Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against K-Mart, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation. Additional Resources How Can I Start a Workers’ Compensation Claim? Workers’ Comp Cases That Receive the Most Amount of Damages?
