Injuries Working at a Menards in Illinois

Illinois is a big state for Menards. With 60 stores across the state, Illinois has more Menards locations than any other state in the country.  That’s about 18% of all Menards stores in the U.S. It is probably why we constantly hear their jingle on TV all the time. It also means that means thousands of Illinois workers clock in at a Menards every day. And where there are workers, there are unfortunately workplace injuries. This is especially true at places like Menards where workers constantly perform activities that put them at risk of injury.

If you were hurt on the job at a Menards in Illinois, we can help you connect with an experienced attorney who has successfully represented many Menards employees. For a free case review, please contact us any time at 312-346-5320 to speak with a lawyer and get pointed in the right direction or just ask questions. We promise to give you the same guidance we would give to a family member or friend.

The Jobs at Menards and the Risks That Come With Them

Menards stores employ a wide range of workers, and many of those jobs are physically demanding. Common positions include:

• Lumber yard and building materials associates — loading, unloading, and moving heavy materials like lumber, concrete blocks, and drywall all day
• Warehouse and receiving employees — unloading trucks, operating forklifts, and stacking heavy inventory
• Sales floor associates — stocking shelves, assisting customers with large items, and working in departments like plumbing, electrical, and flooring
• Cashiers — long hours on their feet with repetitive scanning motions and lifting heavy purchases
• Managers and department leads — often expected to help with physical tasks in addition to supervisory duties
• Forklift and equipment operators — at risk for collisions, tip-overs, and falling loads
• Delivery and yard crew — loading customer vehicles with heavy materials in all weather conditions

Common Injuries at Menards

The physical nature of these jobs leads to a predictable set of injuries. Workers at Menards frequently suffer:

• Back and disc injuries from lifting heavy materials, especially lumber, bags of concrete, and appliances
• Shoulder injuries including rotator cuff tears from overhead reaching and repetitive heavy lifting
• Knee injuries from working on hard surfaces, squatting, and climbing
• Forklift and equipment accidents causing fractures, crush injuries, and head trauma
• Slip and fall injuries in the lumber yard, on wet store floors, or in the parking lots
• Carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries, particularly for cashiers and associates doing the same tasks over and over
• Falling merchandise injuries from items shifting or falling from high shelving
• Cuts, lacerations, and puncture wounds from tools, materials, and equipment

Some of these injuries might heal with rest and physical therapy. Others (like a herniated disc, a torn rotator cuff, or a serious knee injury) can require surgery and months of recovery, and may permanently affect your ability to work.

Workers Compensation and Finding the Right Attorney

Workers’ compensation in Illinois is a benefits system. It exists specifically to pay for your medical treatment and replace a portion of your lost wages when you are hurt on the job. You or your attorney is filing a claim for benefits, not suing your employer.

Menards works with a company called Gallagher Bassett to fight their Illinois work comp cases. It is the goal of Gallagher to deny, delay or minimize your benefits. At times they will wrongly deny cases without good reason or do things to interfere with your care like assigning a nurse case manager to illegally talk to your doctor, delaying medical approval or sending you to an IME. They are not looking out for you and even when it seems like they are doing everything legally or paying everything they should, they are looking for ways to minimize what you get.

An experienced Illinois workers’ compensation attorney who fights for their clients levels the playing field. We can refer you to an attorney who has successfully represented many Menards employees across Illinois and knows exactly how these cases work and how to deal with Gallagher Bassett. You will almost certainly recover more money with an attorney than without one. Workers comp lawyers work on a contingency basis so you pay them nothing up front and their fee is typically just 20% of any settlement you get in the end.

If you were injured working at a Menards anywhere in Illinois, we would love to help you. Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation. We’ll connect you with a highly experienced Illinois workers’ compensation attorney who will fight for you, deal with the insurance company and let you focus on getting healthy.