Walmart Workers’ Comp: What to Do After a Work Injury

Walmart is the world's largest retailer with over 2 million employees.¹ With a workforce this large and a multitude of roles, it’s common for workplace accidents to occur. If you’re a Walmart employee who has been injured on the job, understanding Walmart's workers' compensation policy is essential because it covers your lost wages and medical expenses.

Here’s how to navigate the process and get the benefits you’re entitled to.

Does Walmart have a workers’ comp policy?

Yes, Walmart offers workers’ compensation insurance for its employees, including Sam’s Club workers, so you should be covered after a work injury.

However, the details of your policy depend on where you live. In most states, Walmart uses a third-party administrator called Claims Management, Inc. (CMI) to oversee its workers’ comp claims. CMI is actually a subsidiary of Walmart, which might lead to certain biases when evaluating and determining cases, leading to a delay in receiving your benefits.

Who qualifies for workers’ comp

Only employees can qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. That includes full-time, part-time, seasonal, and temporary workers. Contractors do not qualify for benefits, unfortunately.

One good sign you're an employee is if you get a W-2 from Walmart during tax season. If Walmart withholds taxes from your paychecks, that’s another good sign. For contractors, your paychecks won’t have any taxes removed and you’ll likely receive a Form 1099 during tax season.

Learn more about workers who qualify for benefits.

What injuries does Walmart workers’ comp policy cover?

Any injury that occurs at work or as a direct result of doing your job duties can qualify, including one-time injuries (like slipping on a wet floor), illnesses, diseases, and other health conditions that develop over time (like lower back pain) or don’t immediately appear after a work incident.

Workers’ comp is a no-fault system, so all injuries and accidents can qualify no matter who caused them or whose fault they were.

Some common work-related injuries that Walmart employees might face include:

• Trips and falls: Walmart's retail spaces can sometimes lead to unexpected slips or falls, whether due to wet floors, clutter, or other hazards. (Learn more about benefits after a fall.)

• Machinery incidents: Employees operating or even just working near machinery might face risks like getting caught in moving parts.

• Product-related accidents: The sheer volume of merchandise means that incidents like heavy items falling or mishandling of products can lead to injuries.

• Warehouse and vehicle incidents: Expansive storage and transportation zones come with their own set of hazards, such as being struck by forklifts, trucks, or other warehouse vehicles.

If you're unsure about whether your injury is covered, take our 2-minute quiz and we’ll reach out to explain more about your potential benefits.

What to do if you get injured at Walmart

If you’re a Walmart employee and you get sick or injured on the job, these are the basic steps you should take to kick off the workers’ comp claim process:

1. Get necessary medical care

Depending on your injury's severity, you may need to go to the emergency room, visit an urgent care clinic, or schedule an appointment with a medical professional. Get all necessary medical care immediately and make sure to tell the doctor or provider that you have a work injury.

Even if the injury seems minor at the moment, getting it checked out ensures that you have a medical record from the start. For example, if your injury leads to symptoms that take days or weeks to develop, getting workers’ comp benefits could be difficult without the medical records showing that the symptoms result from an earlier work incident.

2. Report the incident

Let your supervisor or manager know about the incident and your resulting injury or illness as soon as you can. This step isn’t just about protocol. State laws say that you can only get workers’ comp if you report your injuries quickly.

Here’s how to report your injury.

3. File a claim

Once you report the injury, you'll receive certain forms from Walmart or Claims Management. These documents are essential for filing a claim, so complete them and return them quickly. After submitting your forms, stay proactive. This might involve following up with your claims adjuster or case manager to make sure a claim has been opened and approved. Also continue receiving medical care and follow all instructions from your doctor.

How much Walmart pays for workers’ comp

Your workers’ comp benefits include medical coverage and compensation for lost wages while you recover.

Coverage for medical bills

• Immediate and ongoing care: Any medical bills directly stemming from your workplace injury should be paid by Walmart workers’ comp policy. This includes emergency room visits, surgeries, physical therapy, medications, and even copays.

• Future medical expenses: When an injury has long-term implications, Walmart might offer a settlement to account for the projected costs of your medical care (more on those later).

Compensation for lost wages

• Temporary disability: If your injury requires you to take time off work, you’ll receive temporary workers’ comp payments. They’re worth two-thirds of your pay in most states and you get checks every week or two. See how much workers’ comp pays in your area.

• Permanent disability: If you recover as much as possible but don’t return to your full pre-injury condition, you’ll transition to long-term payments that could last weeks or years depending on which part of your body was injured and the severity of your injury. You could also receive a settlement offer.

Walmart workers’ comp settlements

Many workers’ comp claims end with a settlement, especially if your injury requires long-term treatment.

A settlement is usually one lump-sum payment that you negotiate with the insurer or Claims Management. It’s meant to cover your lost wages, necessary medical care, workers’ comp benefits you haven’t gotten yet, and any other expenses that result from your injury (like the cost of retraining).

We recommend talking to a workers’ comp lawyer if you get a settlement offer. Negotiating a settlement yourself isn’t easy and Walmart is big enough to have a team that’s dedicated to paying out as little as possible for injury claims. A lawyer can help you level the playing field to negotiate a fair payout. Workers’ comp lawyers also don’t charge anything upfront. You only pay after you get your settlement.

Related article: Average Settlements by Injured Body Part

Find a local workers' comp lawyer

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