U.S. lawmakers have recently begun calling Amazon’s business practices into question. Above all, they’ve been criticizing its commitment to safety and abnormal rates of serious injury. Workers at Amazon suffered a 7.9% rate of injury in 2021, more than double the average rate of all workers and nearly double the industry rate of injury. AP News reported that despite only employing one-third of all warehouse employees in America, Amazon produces more worker injuries than all other warehouses combined.
As our post on Marlton Third-Party Liability Claims discusses, workers are guaranteed basic levels of compensation for injury regardless of fault. However, a worker can obtain much greater compensation if they’re able to prove that the company is at fault for their injury. With Amazon’s unusually high levels of worker injury, consider joining the ranks of Amazon warehouse workers who’ve mounted personal injury lawsuits. Call 866-778-5500 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation and find out more.
Early in November 2022, the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee brought several witnesses to testify about the conditions in Amazon warehouses. The Strategic Organizing Center compiled information that OSHA had compelled Amazon to release into a single authoritative, highly critical report.
For years, Amazon has been a leader in worker injury rates. These dropped to a recent low of 6.6% in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic significantly curtailed Amazon’s rate of operations. However, this still remained twice as high as the general worker injury rate, and twice as high as injury rates within the industry.
The relaxation of controls saw a sharp spike to 7.9% worker injury rates in 2021, which only declined to 6.9% in 2022. Meanwhile, warehouse worker injuries in general only increased from 3.2% to 4% in 2021. This is much smaller than Amazon’s spike in serious worker injuries. For that matter, the increasing danger to Amazon workers statistically accounts for half of the whole industry-wide increase in injury rates.
Know your legal options.
Senator Bernie Sanders is the chairman of the Senate’s HELP Committee, which is short for Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). In addition to the aforementioned investigation, he officially launched an investigation into conditions at Amazon warehouses. He characterizes Amazon’s conduct as “dangerous and illegal,” and criticizes Amazon and its top executives for having “created a corporate culture that treats workers as disposable.”
Additional statistics supporting Sanders’ position include a set of studies placing the Amazon annual turnover rate between 100% and 150%. In contrast, the Bureau of Labor Statistics places the industry standard for warehouse employees around 43%. Amazon’s employee retention is many times worse than the industry in general, which experiences considerably lower turnover than 43% if Amazon is treated as an outlier and removed from the statistics.
However, experts have suggested that it may be difficult for lawmakers to comply with the proposed changes. If this is true, then it falls to Amazon warehouse worker injury lawsuits to provide justice and force Amazon to change its policies.
There are two main categories of damages that are available in a personal injury lawsuit. The first is economic damages, which refer to those consequences with a concrete cost. The second is non-economic damages, also known as general damages or compensation for pain and suffering.
Economic damages include medical expenses, lost income during downtime, and potential future lost wages. On the other hand, non-economic damages may compensate for physical pain, emotional distress, damage to relationships, and a loss of sources of joy in life.
However, you first need to build a strong case to carry out your Amazon warehouse injury lawsuit. At the law firm of Console & Associates, P.C, you can find experienced personal injury lawyers who are ready to take your case. Call 866-778-5500 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation, learn your rights, and take your next step forward.
