Costco Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

The Price Company merged in 1993 to become Price/Costco. The corporate name changed in 1997 to Costco Companies, Inc., eventually being called Costco by 1999. Costco is often lauded for providing its employees with higher pay and better benefits than are customary in retailing.

Working at Costco can be a physically demanding job. You might be moving product boxes, stocking shelves using a mini frontend loader, or rearranging a store display featuring tall piles of bottles or other heavy products. You could be opening cartons with a sharp box cutter or trying to walk through the back of the store and trip over cartons.

Contact our legal team today if you or someone you know was recently injured during their overnight shift, morning shift, or mid-day shift. At the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm, we will help you fill out numerous forms and meet other requirements for your workers’ compensation claim. It is confusing for workers. We are here to help. We will explain your legal rights and help you get the benefits you deserve.

What Could Happen During a Costco Worker’s Shift

Costco workers could be involved in an in-store accident, even doing mundane tasks. Other tasks workers perform include:

• Following sanitation and health protocols safely.
• Operating grocery equipment to ensure it is secure.
• Keeping displays and shelves clean, appealing, and well-stocked.
• Rotating products, removing stale dated items, and checking all bar codes.
• Ensure store signage is current and accurate.
• Restocking and Backstocking must be kept up to date.
• Sweeping, cleaning public and staff bathrooms, cleaning aisles, and other locations.

Although each position is unique, similar injuries can occur, and it’s essential to let a manager know, take photos of all injuries, seek medical treatment as soon as possible, and start a workers’ compensation claim. At Costco, specific job positions include:

• Cashier Assistant – Assistants pack boxes with customers’ orders into a separate cart for cashiers. Do cleanup, restocking, retrieve carts and go for other items when asked.
• Cashier – Along with processing orders through the till, a cashier cleans up, sets up their department, and closes as necessary.
• Stocker – Stocks merchandise for sale, clears and cleans aisles, straightens merchandise, and helps members.
• Foodservice Assistant – Preps drinks and food for customers, pulls and stocks supplies and ingredients, and cleans the eating and kitchen areas.
• Baker – Weighs, wraps, labels, garnishes, and merchandises bakery goods.
• Service Deli Assistant – Preps packages and labels meats, salads, party trays, meals, chicken, ribs, sliced meats, cheeses, and sushi. 
• Membership Assistant – Signs members up and deals with renewals and extra cards. Inform members about the warehouse, credit, and membership programs—issues temp and replacement cards and keys credit applications.

Other jobs at Costco include:

• Maintenance/ Custodial
• Forklift Driver
• Cake Decorator
• Inventory Operator
• Meat Cutter/Wrapper
• Tire Sales Assistant
• Receiving Clerk
• Power Equipment Operator
• Truck Driver
• Optical Sales Assistant
• Non-Licensed Optician/ Licensed Optician
• Licensed Hearing Aid Dispenser
• Pharmacy Manager
• Registered Pharmacist

Many of these jobs require a great deal of physical activity, resulting in a mishap while at work. Most jobs store workers perform mean handling heavy items, shifting them, loading and unloading, stocking shelves using forklifts, pallet jacks, hand trucks, etc., and other equipment to move heavy objects, building and maintaining displays, and receiving training on the equipment used to do their jobs. 

Costco Workers Face Multiple Risks On-Site

Costco workers face numerous risks on the job. Those include, but are not limited to:

• Eye injuries
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Burns and Electrocution
• Neck and Back Injuries 
• Repetitive Motion Injuries 
• Slips & Falls
• Lacerations & Punctured Wounds
• Strained, Sprained, or Torn Muscles 
• Rotator Cuff Injuries 
• Knee Injuries
• Broken & Fractured Bones
• Traumatic Brain Injury

The Law in New Jersey for Costco Workplace Accidents

The law states that all employers not covered by federal programs must have workers’ compensation coverage or be self-insured. If work-related injuries or death are on the job, the employer and other company officials are responsible for medical costs, temporary and permanent disability, or dependency benefits.

Do I need a New Jersey workers’ compensation lawyer? 

Hiring a New Jersey workers’ compensation lawyer increases your chances of getting the full range of compensation benefits. Filing a claim on your own can be confusing due to the complexity and scope of forms and other requirements that must be met. Your employer may attempt to get you back to work before you can manage it, or they may deny benefits if they think a particular medical treatment is unnecessary. 

At the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm, our experienced workers’ compensation attorneys investigate your workplace accident and gather the necessary evidence to support you and your claim. We ensure paperwork is submitted correctly and on time, avoiding common mistakes that may lead to your claim being denied.  

A workers’ compensation claim is one way an injured worker can obtain compensation after a New Jersey workplace accident. The other way is through a third-party personal injury claim. These claims can be filed against a non-employer third party who was responsible for the worker’s injuries. Looking into third-party injury claims is important, as these can provide workers with additional damages, including those for their pain and suffering. For example, if you were injured due to defective equipment, the company that manufactured the machinery might be responsible. Your attorney can file a separate personal injury claim to pursue additional damages.

Do I need a doctor’s approval to return to work?

A physician should approve your return to work. If you are cleared to return to work on full duty or with light-duty restrictions, you must return as you will no longer receive temporary disability benefits.   

In some instances, you can challenge a doctor’s decision to go back to work. If you are not fully recovered, you may question the decision. Returning to work too soon may mean sustaining a different injury or re-injuring yourself.

Understand the Necessary Steps to Take After Your Injury at Costco 

Do not wait to tell your manager about your injury, as this may result in your workers’ compensation claim being denied. Tell your manager about your work injury right after it happens, or speak to human resources representative, or other appropriate supervisor. 

Keep a total record of the time, date, place, and type of injury you sustained and to whom you reported your work injury. Ensure someone you work with knows about your accident and injury. You may be required to see a company doctor, who will arrange for you to have authorized treatment.  If you are told to see an authorized company doctor, you must, or your workers’ compensation claim may be denied. 

Keep in-depth records on all medical care received, including expenses, doctor visits, and other related costs and appointments.

If your injuries are severe, immediately get emergency medical care. Fill out all accident reports, and follow all required steps to fill out a workers’ compensation claim. Ask your manager or HR person if you do not know how to file a workers’ compensation claim. 

When filling out your workers’ compensation form, you need to include your full name, what your job is, what type of injury you sustained, when, where, and how the injury happened, and anyone else involved in the accident.

Evidence A Costco Worker Needs to File A WC Claim

You need to have evidence to support your injury claim and file it with your claim’s form. The type of evidence includes:

• Written, signed reports from reliable eyewitnesses.
• In-store videos (if available) from surveillance cameras.
• Pictures of the accident location.
• Doctor’s report outlining all injuries and expected recuperation time.
• Receipts for every medical treatment.
• Unpaid invoices for treatment already provided.
• Evidence you reported within the required deadline.
• Photos showing the cause of the accident.
• Pictures of your injuries.
• Proof the accident was reported.

If you need help compiling these documents, reach out to the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm workers’ compensation attorneys. We have decades of experience and can check your claim form with you. 

It is essential to know that the most common reasons for denying workers’ compensation claims are failure to file your accident report by the set deadline and not having witnesses who vouch that you hurt yourself at work. It is also important to note that a work accident that aggravates an initial or pre-existing condition is still compensable under the compensation law.

Why do I need a lawyer to file for New Jersey workers’ compensation?

Working with a New Jersey workers’ compensation lawyer makes obtaining benefits much more accessible and can increase the chances your claim gets approved in a timely manner, and maximize the number of benefits.

To successfully bring a workers’ compensation claim, you need to know what information to include. Failing to present relevant details can delay a claim or result in your claim being denied.  

Contact the Experienced Workers’ Compensation Accident Lawyers at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm Now! 

If you were recently injured at Costco’s in a workplace accident, this is undoubtedly a difficult time for you and your family. The workers’ compensation lawyers at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm understand the challenges you face and want to help protect your rights. We aggressively represent every client we serve, ensuring they recover the benefits they need to move on with their lives after a serious accident while on the job. 

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 and to schedule a free consultation, give us a call today at (973) 920-7900. You can also connect with us through our online form. We have two conveniently located offices in Denville and Morristown, New Jersey.