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Warehouse Accident Lawyer

If you suffered some sort of injury while visiting or working at a warehouse, you can count on our warehouse accident lawyer to stand by your side in a personal injury claim or a workers’ compensation claim.

Warehouses are huge buildings, used for storage and assembly. Even though the open space is large, sometimes the smallest detail can lead to an accident and a debilitating injury for workers or visitors to the area. A North Carolina warehouse owner must take the time to ensure that all safety measures are in place and operational to prevent the potential of injury or fatal accidents.

At Sumwalt Anderson, we understand the changes that may happen in your life after you suffer a significant injury at a warehouse. You can trust that we will always work as hard as we can to help you win your claim.

Contact us today for a free review of your case at (704) 377-3770.

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How Our Warehouse Injury Lawyer Can Help

When you choose to hire the team at Sumwalt Anderson, count on our Charlotte warehouse accident lawyer to begin investigating your case immediately. We know that the faster we can begin studying the facts of your warehouse accident, the better we can serve you. We can interview witnesses to the accident and access photos and video of the scene easier when we begin investigating soon after your accident. We have multiple attorneys on our team with experience serving injured clients, working in this area of the law for many decades collectively. Mark Sumwalt leads our team, and he provides a specialty in the area of workers’ comp. He is a North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law. We have victories in dozens of personal injury and workers’ comp cases where our clients obtained settlements equaling seven- and eight-figure amounts.

How Much Could a Warehouse Accident Lawsuit Be Worth to Me?

We will not guarantee that you will receive a seven-figure amount in your warehouse injury settlement. As a general rule, those who suffer significant, life-altering injuries in a warehouse accident have the greatest chance to receive settlements worth hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. Generally speaking, those who may only have a few medical bills and have only missed a couple of weeks of work will not receive a much lower amount. You can trust that our team will be ready to defend your rights to our maximum ability regardless of the value of your claim. We know the devastating effect a loved one’s warehouse injury can have on a family. Your family can have serious financial hardships, in addition to the worries over the injured party’s health. We appreciate the trust your family is putting in us, and we take this role very seriously. For a free consultation, contact our warehouse accident lawyer as soon as possible at (704) 377-3770.

Our Warehouse Accident Lawyer in North Carolina Can Handle Many Types of Cases

The process of filing a warehouse accident lawsuit after you or a loved one suffered an injury can take on a number of different configurations. The type of claim you will end up making will depend on the circumstances in your case. Trust that the team at Sumwalt Anderson has the know-how and experience to handle any of the following types of warehouse injury claims.

Workers’ Compensation Claim for an Injury in a Warehouse Accident

If you suffered your injury while performing the normal duties associated with your job at the warehouse, you will almost certainly need to bring a workers’ compensation claim. Our Charlotte workers’ compensation lawyer is well-versed in these types of cases. We understand how to work through the sometimes complex process of filing a workers’ comp claim and receiving the benefits you should have. The North Carolina Industrial Commission oversees the state’s workers’ compensation program. Any business in the state that has three or more employees must pay for and provide workers’ comp insurance for these employees. Even part-time and temporary employees count toward the three-person limit. If a business fails to obtain this insurance coverage, the business’s owners could be subject to fines and criminal charges. A few exceptions do exist, but the vast majority of employees in North Carolina receive protection under workers’ comp insurance. In a workers’ compensation claim, the employee does not have to prove negligence on the part of the employer. Compensation typically occurs as long as the employee suffered the injury as part of the typical work process. When accepting workers’ comp insurance benefits, the employee typically cannot file a personal injury lawsuit against the employer. The insurance protects both the employer and the employee. Even if the employee made a mistake that led to his or her injuries, the employee should receive workers’ comp insurance benefits. On the other side, workers’ comp insurance protects employers from being the subject of a lengthy or unpredictable personal injury lawsuit. In North Carolina, workers’ compensation insurance is a no-fault type of system. This means it doesn’t really matter why the accident occurred. As long as the employee was performing normal job duties, he or she should be eligible to seek benefits through workers’ comp insurance claims.

Personal Injury Claim for Employees Hurt While Working in a Warehouse

There are a few exceptions to the idea that employees cannot sue their employers through a personal injury claim after a warehouse accident. Our warehouse injury lawyer can help you determine whether your case fits one of these exceptions.
  • Employer’s intentional actions: If your employer at the warehouse did something intentional to cause your injuries, you can bring a personal injury lawsuit. The workers’ comp insurance system does not protect the employer when he or she purposefully causes physical injuries to the employee.
  • Co-worker’s intentional actions: If a co-worker at the warehouse purposefully causes your injuries, either through reckless behavior or through intentional actions, you have the right to file a personal injury claim against the co-worker. The claim would not go against the employer unless the employer participated in the reckless actions.
  • No workers’ comp insurance: If your employer creates a dangerous situation for you at the warehouse that leads to your injuries through negligence, and if the employer does not follow the rules of the North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act by purchasing workers’ comp insurance, the employee potentially could file a personal injury claim against the employer.
These situations are rare, but they do occur on occasion. Our warehouse injury lawyer can help you sort out the facts in your case to determine whether one of these circumstances applies.

Personal Injury Claim for Visitors to Warehouses

Should you suffer an injury in a warehouse accident when you are not an employee at the warehouse, you could bring a personal injury case against the warehouse owner. The warehouse owner must maintain the property in a manner that allows those visiting the warehouse to remain safe. This may include maintaining electric wires, keeping the grounds safe from tripping hazards, avoiding spills that could lead to a slip and fall accident, and performing other similar maintenance tasks. Should the visitor move into an area of the warehouse where items could fall from height or where forklifts are in use, the warehouse owner must provide safety equipment and gear for the visitor to use. The owner must add signage to the area to provide adequate warnings to those visitors, so they can watch out for these items. Owners have a duty to keep visitors as safe as possible.

Examples of Warehouse Accidents That Can Lead to Injury Claims

Warehouses are huge buildings that often store large, heavy items. This requires the use of heavy machinery inside the building to move these items. Most of the time, this happens safely. However, should an error occur, the resulting accident can be devastating to the health and well-being of multiple people in the area. The improper use of certain types of equipment in the warehouse can lead to an accident. Should employees have inadequate training or choose not to follow the warehouse’s safety requirements, accidents may also occur.

Crushing Accidents from Falling Items or Machines

At a warehouse, where heavy items may sit on a shelf or on an upper level in the building, a failure of the storage shelf or an improperly balanced item on the shelf could fall from above, leading to crushing injuries for those underneath. An even more common crushing accident can occur when machines or vehicles in the warehouse strike people. Someone could end up pinned between a vehicle and a wall or large object in the warehouse.

Accidents Caused by Forklifts Used in Warehouses

The most common vehicle in use in a warehouse is a forklift. This single-person vehicle is able to support a lot of weight, as it moves heavy items around the building. The forklift mechanism moves the support tines up and down, so it can pick up items stored above. Should the forklift operator misjudge the placement of the tines, however, it could lead to an off-balance heavy item shifting as the forklift moves, potentially causing the forklift to tip or causing the item to fall backward onto the forklift. If the forklift vehicle cab doesn’t have a safety cage or roll bars, the forklift operator could suffer injuries in the accident. Forklift operators need extensive training to be able to use this machinery safely. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says safety violations regarding forklifts are the most common type of violation in warehouse settings.

Falls from Height Accidents

Because the warehouse often has multiple levels for storage, workers have a risk of falling from height to a lower level. Warehouse designers may not place safety railings in all of the upper levels of the building, as railings could prevent a forklift from reaching items stored on the upper levels. For safety, people may need to wear harnesses and safety lines when working in the upper levels of the building. Failure to do so could lead to a fall from height accident.

Chemical Spill Accidents in Warehouses

If the warehouse contains chemicals and toxic substances, an accident could cause a rupture of a tank or drum, resulting in chemical exposure for everyone in the area. This exposure could lead to chemical burns and inhalation of dangerous fumes. Some chemical leaks may cause a fire or an explosion as well.

When Warehouse Infrastructure Fails

In an older warehouse building, the building’s crumbling infrastructure can lead to accidents. The building’s owner needs to have regular inspections done on the infrastructure of the building, making any recommended repairs as quickly as possible. Some of these potential hazards include:
  • Faulty electrical wiring
  • Faulty plumbing
  • Failing walls or safety railings
  • Faulty fire suppression systems
  • Compromised roof that leaks
  • Improperly functioning warning alarms
  • Inadequate or burned out lighting
  • Overfilling old shelves with items that are too heavy
  • Failing conveyor belt systems.

Slip, Trip, and Fall Accidents

People could suffer a wide range of injuries if they slip on wet floors in the warehouse or trip over objects left in walkways. Uneven areas in the floor that don’t have adequate warning signs or markings on the floor can lead to trips. Failing to have adequate lighting inside the warehouse can create a greater risk of slipping or tripping, too.

Common Injuries in Warehouse Accidents

Our warehouse accident lawyer has extensive experience in injury cases like this, where warehouse workers or visitors suffer injuries that lead to a workers’ comp claim or a personal injury claim. Some of the most common warehouse-related injuries we see include:
  • Back injuries: Warehouse workers with improper training on how to lift and move objects could suffer a back injury or a musculoskeletal injury. If the injury is severe enough, the victim may never again work in a job that requires lifting.
  • Spinal cord injuries: When someone falls from height or suffers a crushing injury after a collision with machinery, this can lead to spinal cord damage and the potential for paralysis, creating a life-changing event.
  • Head injuries: Falls from height, an object falling and striking someone, or a vehicular accident inside the warehouse all can lead to a head injury, such as a concussion or a traumatic brain injury (TBI). If the warehouse owner fails to provide adequate safety helmets, the effects of this type of accident could be far more serious.
  • Injuries to limbs: Someone who has an arm or leg pinned between machines or between a forklift and a heavy container could end up with crushing injuries that affect the bones, ligaments, and muscles in the limb, leading to permanent disability.
  • Smoke or chemical exposure: After exposure to a toxic chemical or a fire, people in the warehouse could receive skin burns or damage to the lungs. This can lead to immediate injuries. Additionally, it potentially could lead to long-term health problems that may not show up for a few months or years.
  • Hearing damage: In a noisy warehouse setting, employees and visitors should receive hearing protection equipment. The potential for long-term hearing damage exists without the right protective gear.

Our Charlotte Warehouse Accident Lawyer Will Work Tirelessly to Present Your Side of the Story

After an injury in a warehouse setting, you may feel significant frustration when speaking with the insurance company handling your case. You know how serious your injuries are, yet the insurer seems to be ignoring your concerns. If the insurance company makes a quick settlement offer, it may not be anywhere near large enough to cover your medical costs and lost wages going forward. Our warehouse accident lawyer knows how insurance companies work in these types of cases. Whether you are seeking a personal injury claim or a workers’ comp claim, we have the experience to serve your interests well. We will give you the compassionate care you need to help you work through your injuries and recovery. We always represent our clients with the utmost professionalism, relying on the facts to help us defend our clients against the unfair behavior of insurance companies. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you do not have to worry about being able to afford our services. We receive payment only if we win a settlement for you. Our fee comes from a percentage of the final settlement amount. For a free review of your case, contact Sumwalt Anderson at (704) 377-3770 today.

Attorney Richard Anderson

Richard “Rick” Anderson is a native Charlottean. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1990 and his Juris Doctorate law degree from the Wake Forest University School of Law in 1993. Rick focuses his practice on workers’ compensation, medical negligence, and catastrophic personal injury cases. You will find Rick to be an honest and dedicated advocate ready to fight for his clients. When he accepts your case, Rick makes a personal commitment to you and uses his 27 years of knowledge and experience to advance your lawsuit to achieve a successful outcome. [ Attorney Bio ]

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Recovered on behalf of a gentleman (plaintiff/client) who was working as a vinyl window installer on a metal ladder when the ladder struck a live electrical wire. Learn more.

$2.7
million

Recovered negotiated on the behalf of our client who was rendered a paraplegic due to a spinal fracture after falling from a roof in the course and scope of his employment as a construction worker. Learn more.

$2.5
million

Recovered for a construction worker from Texas who suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury following a fall from a roof while working on a job site in Charlotte, NC. Learn more.

$2.4
million

Recovered on behalf of our client who sustained a spinal cord injury in the course and scope of his employment as a production worker in a manufacturing plant. Learn more.

$2.3
million

Recovered on behalf of the gentlemen (plaintiff/client) who sustained an injury when he slipped and fell on an icy ramp during his employment. Learn more.

$2.1
million

Recovered on behalf of a client who was injured in the course and scope of her employment as a nurse when attacked by a patient. Learn more.

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