Workers’ Compensation Lawyer for New Jersey Postal Workers Injured While Making a Delivery

Knowledgeable New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Help Postal Workers Obtain Benefits After a Slip and Fall During a Delivery

Fall and winter can be perilous times for postal workers. Wet leaves, water, debris, slush, snow, and ice can all increase the risk of a slip-and-fall accident as postal workers make daily deliveries. These hazards can cause a slip, trip, or fall on their own, or they can obscure other unsafe conditions like potholes and broken steps. Door mats, broken handrails, and other unsafe conditions can also cause serious injuries. 

Postal workers who suffer job-related injuries can seek workers’ compensation benefits to cover their medical bills and other losses. If you need help navigating workers’ comp and securing your benefits after a slip and fall injury, talk to the team at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm today. Our dedicated USPS workers’ compensation lawyers will help you understand your legal rights and take steps to get the compensation you need. 

Statistics on Slip and Fall Accidents in the Postal Service

Each Fall season, the USPS recognizes a Slip and Fall Prevention Week. USPS estimates that over 500 slip-and-fall accidents injure New Jersey postal workers each year. Other states with high rates of postal worker slip and fall injuries include California, Illinois, New York, and Michigan. 

The United States Postal Service estimates that, on average, 51 postal workers suffer a slip and fall injury at work each day nationwide. Over 15,000 postal workers suffered a slip, trip, or fall injury in 2022. Most of these injuries were preventable. 

Approximately 700 workplace deaths result from slip and fall injuries each year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Slip and fall injuries are among the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)’s “Big Four” causes of serious on-the-job injuries. 

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents for USPS Workers

The Postal Employees’ Handbook provides tips on reducing the risk of a slip and fall accident while delivering mail. These include a recommendation that postal workers “pay close attention” to walkways to spot tripping hazards. 

Postal workers are also not required to navigate “icy steps, broken or rotted steps or porches,” and similar hazards. Instead, postal workers can fill out PS Form 1767 to report these conditions to their supervisors and PS Form 1766 to warn replacement carriers about them. 

Attention to walkways can help you spot and avoid obvious conditions. Hidden or non-obvious dangers may cause serious injuries, even when workers are paying attention. Common unsafe conditions that can lead to a postal worker slip and fall accident include:

• Walkway hazards. Potholes, uneven pavement or flooring, rugs, spills, and debris in walkways can all cause a slip, trip, or fall. 
• Poor lighting. Inadequate lighting on a walkway can make it impossible for a postal worker to see an unsafe condition in time to avoid falling. Burned-out lightbulbs, lack of light fixtures, and similar issues can all lead to an injury. 
• Broken staircases. Broken stairs, missing handrails, and similar issues on staircases or ramps can cause an injury – often before a postal worker even realizes there’s a problem. 
• Inadequate weather protection. Businesses that fail to remove snow, ice or slush promptly increase the risk that their mail carrier or another patron will slip and fall. Walkways and entrances must also be designed to prevent puddles, wet leaves, and other dangerous underfoot debris from collecting. 
• Heavier packages. A study by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that the average weight of packages has increased in recent years. More packages appear in the mail mix as well. With mail carriers carrying heavier loads, the risk of a fall also increases. Heavier loads place more stress on the body, making it harder for postal workers to correct their balance if they slip or trip. 
• Dangerous doormats. A 2022 USPS worker bulletin provides several tips for USPS workers to ensure that door mats don’t cause a slip, trip, or fall. Unfortunately, many places of business don’t receive this information or don’t inspect door mats for safety. Worn mats, mats that curl up from the floor or ripple, mats without adequate grip against the floor, mats at a different height than the door threshold, and mats that blend into the floor can all create a slip or trip hazard. In some cases, a postal worker won’t notice the problem until it is too late to prevent an injury. 

Other unsafe conditions can also occur. When they do, it’s important for an injured postal worker to speak to an experienced slip and fall injury lawyer. 

Typical Injuries Sustained in a Slip & Fall Accident

Postal workers can suffer severe injuries from a slip and fall accident, including:

• Spinal cord injuries
• Ligament sprains/tears
• Shoulder injuries
• Knee injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Tendon strains/tears
• Whiplash
• Lacerations
• Facial injuries
• Puncture wounds
• Paralysis
• Broken & Fractured bones

Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits After a Delivery-Related Slip and Fall Accident

USPS workers are to report work-related injuries to their supervisor immediately, according to the Postal Employees’ Handbook. The Handbook lists the steps that USPS employees should take after an injury.

1. Get medical treatment. The Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM) provides guidelines for obtaining authorized medical evaluation and treatment or first aid. The Handbook warns that “prompt attention” to injuries is necessary and important. Prompt medical care helps document the full extent of your injuries and start you on a path to recovery. 
2. Report the incident. Tell your supervisor as soon as possible after an injury occurs. Your supervisor must contact medical services, including emergency services if needed. During this process, your supervisor must comply with reporting requirements laid out by the Postal Service, the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 
3. Participate in any preventive steps. The Handbook requires supervisors to follow up on workplace injuries by investigating ways to prevent a similar accident from happening again. During this process, your supervisor may have questions for you about what happened. When discussing the incident, stick to the facts: What happened, when, and where you were. An attorney can help you navigate these conversations. 

Benefits for postal workers are provided under the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act (FECA). FECA provides coverage for medical benefits after a work-related injury. It also provides monetary compensation to help support workers who lose income as a result of a work injury. 

If a postal worker experiences permanent impairment, the worker may also receive compensation under the FECA for that impairment. If a work-related injury causes death, FECA benefits will also include death benefits for surviving family members. 

US Postal Service workers can access the following benefits after a workplace slip and fall injury:

• Continuation of pay. You can receive up to 100 percent of your normal rate of pay for up to 45 days after an injury. This pay is treated as salary, not as workers’ compensation benefits, unless you are out of work longer than 45 days. 
• Medical benefits. Medical costs for treatment of a FECA-covered, work-related injury are covered 100 percent by workers’ compensation. You do not have to use your personal health insurance for covered medical services. Your medical provider must be authorized by the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP), however. Postal service workers who suffer injuries that require constant medical care may also receive an additional monthly benefit to pay for this case. 
• Vocational rehabilitation. Some injuries leave workers with a need for help to adapt to work. Federal benefits also pay for vocational rehabilitation if required by the Labor Department. Workers may receive an additional $200 per month while participating in vocational rehab as well. 
• Partial disability. USPS workers who can work part-time or switch to a lower-paying job after an injury are considered “partially disabled.” These workers become eligible for postal service workers’ compensation benefits for partial disability. Benefits are paid as long as your injuries prevent you from returning to full-time, regular work. 
• Total disability. Postal service workers whose injuries prevent them from working at all become eligible for total disability benefits. 

The surviving family members of a postal service worker whose injuries cause death can also receive death benefits. It’s best to discuss your situation with one of our attorneys at Todd J. Leonard Law Firm. We can evaluate your options and craft a compelling case on your behalf. 

Filing a Third-Party Claim after Sustaining a Delivery Injury

In addition to a workers’ compensation claim, a postal worker may also have a third-party claim against a property owner, such as a business or homeowner, if that property owner negligently failed to create a safe environment for expected visitors, including mail carriers. In New Jersey, premises owners are obligated to keep their premises reasonably safe for patrons and expected visitors, or to warn these visitors of hazards that can’t immediately be resolved. If a business fails to take these steps and a postal worker slips and falls and gets injured, the postal worker may bring a third-party claim under the state’s premises liability law for injuries. Similarly, if a subcontractor’s negligence created unsafe working conditions, they may also be liable.

Third-party liability claims allow workers to recover personal injury compensation beyond the financial support workers’ compensation offers, including damages for pain and suffering. At the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm, we thoroughly investigate your injury claim to identify all responsible parties and secure the maximum compensation available for your recovery.

Talk to an Experienced Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today!

Our New Jersey workers’ compensation attorneys have over 35 years of experience aggressively representing postal workers seriously injured on-the-job. Our personal injury lawyers have also assisted postal workers in their third-party claims involved in all types of accident claims, including slip and fall accidents, dog bite attacks, car accidents, etc. We have successfully handled thousands of claims involving injured New Jersey workers, recovering over $100 million for our clients.

A New Jersey postal worker who is injured on-the-job may endure a whirlwind of doctors’ appointments, face large medical bills, rising expenses, and difficulty in making enough money to meet the needs of their family. You may wonder if you’ll ever return to work, enjoy your past hobbies, or fear you won’t be able to support your loved ones the way you once did. Whether it be through a workers’ comp claim and/or a third-party personal injury case, our worker’s compensation and personal injury lawyers will help you navigate the complexities of the process, so you can focus on your recovery. We have recovered over $100 million for our clients and can effectively negotiate on your behalf with even the largest insurance companies. We have successfully served thousands of clients throughout New Jersey.  To learn more about how we can help you pursue a workers’ compensation claim, give us a call today at (973) 920-7900 to request a FREE and confidential consultation. You can also connect with us through our online form. There is never a fee unless we win. We have two conveniently located offices in Denville and Morristown, New Jersey.