OWCP Blog
OWCP for USPS Workers on Long Island
USPS is the single largest source of OWCP claims in the federal workforce, and Long Island is home to major postal facilities, processing centers, and hundreds of carrier routes. If you carry mail, sort parcels, or drive a postal vehicle on Long Island and you got hurt on the job, here is how to protect your claim and get treated locally at our Woodbury office.
USPS Facilities on Long Island
Long Island has a large and active USPS operation spanning both Nassau and Suffolk counties. Injuries happen at every level of the postal system, from the processing floor to the delivery route.
- ✓Western Nassau Processing and Distribution Center in East Garden City: one of the largest mail processing facilities in the region, employing hundreds of mail handlers, clerks, and machine operators
- ✓JFK International Air Mail Center: processes international parcels and letter mail for the entire metro area
- ✓Dozens of post office branches across Nassau County: Hempstead, Garden City, Hicksville, Levittown, Massapequa, Great Neck, Mineola, Freeport, Long Beach, Glen Cove
- ✓Dozens of post office branches across Suffolk County: Huntington, Babylon, Bay Shore, Islip, Smithtown, Commack, Patchogue, Riverhead
- ✓Letter carrier routes covering suburban neighborhoods, apartment complexes, commercial districts, and rural areas across the entire Island
Common USPS Injuries on Long Island
Long Island carrier routes and postal facilities produce a specific pattern of injuries that we see every week at our Woodbury office.
- ✓Lower back strain and disc herniation from lifting heavy parcels. Amazon and other e-commerce volume has increased parcel weight and frequency dramatically. Carriers lift 50 to 70 pound packages dozens of times per shift.
- ✓Knee and ankle injuries from walking routes on uneven Long Island sidewalks, cracked driveways, and unpaved paths. Winter ice on residential walkways is a constant hazard from November through March.
- ✓Shoulder and rotator cuff injuries from casing mail overhead and loading/unloading the LLV or Promaster van
- ✓Dog bites and resulting infections, nerve damage, or PTSD. Long Island has a high rate of dog-related postal injuries, especially on residential routes in Nassau and Suffolk.
- ✓Vehicle accidents in LLVs and Promaster vans on Long Island roads. Right-hand-drive LLVs have limited visibility, and Long Island traffic is heavy.
- ✓Slip-and-fall injuries at postal facilities: wet floors in processing plants, icy loading docks, tripping on mail containers
- ✓Carpal tunnel and repetitive strain from years of sorting mail, scanning parcels, and using postal equipment
3How to File an OWCP Claim from a Long Island Postal Facility
- 1Report the injury to your supervisor immediately. Put it in writing. Do not just tell them verbally. If they try to talk you into using sick leave, say no and file the claim.
- 2Identify the right form. CA-1 for a specific incident (you fell, you lifted something and your back gave out, a dog bit you). CA-2 for a condition that developed over time (chronic back pain from years of carrying mail, carpal tunnel from sorting).
- 3Request a CA-16 from your supervisor. They are required to issue it within 4 hours of a traumatic injury. The CA-16 authorizes immediate treatment.
- 4Call our Woodbury office at (516) 496-4444. Bring the CA-16 if you have one. If your supervisor refuses to issue it, come in anyway. We treat USPS workers with or without the CA-16 and bill OWCP directly once the claim is accepted.
- 5File the CA-1 or CA-2 through ECOMP (ecomp.dol.gov). Keep a copy of everything you submit. Your supervisor completes their section separately.
- 6Follow your treatment plan. Every appointment generates documentation that supports your claim. Missed appointments create gaps that OWCP can use against you.
Why Long Island USPS Workers Choose Our Woodbury Office
Our Woodbury office is 15 to 25 minutes from most Nassau County postal facilities and 20 to 30 minutes from western Suffolk locations. That means you can get to an appointment and back during a break or after your shift without losing half the day to a Manhattan commute.
- ✓OWCP credentialed practice with 99% claim acceptance rate
- ✓Dr. Moalemi is board-certified in PM&R and personally evaluates every patient
- ✓We know USPS job duties by craft position: city carrier, rural carrier, clerk, mail handler, vehicle operator, custodian
- ✓CA-17 duty status reports with specific lifting limits, walking restrictions, and work-hour limitations your postmaster can actually follow
- ✓Free claims assistance: CA-1, CA-2, CA-7, CA-16, CA-17, CA-20 filing help
- ✓Direct billing to DOL. You never pay a copay, deductible, or out-of-pocket fee.
- ✓Free parking on site (no Manhattan parking costs)
Carrier-Specific Injury Patterns on Long Island
Long Island routes have characteristics that produce injuries different from city routes.
- ✓Suburban walking routes: longer distances between mailboxes, more driveway approaches, more steps on residential properties. Carriers walk 10 to 15 miles per shift on many Long Island routes.
- ✓Winter hazards: Long Island gets significant ice and snow. Homeowners do not always shovel or salt walkways. Slip-and-fall injuries spike from December through February.
- ✓Dog encounters: Long Island residential areas have a high rate of loose dogs. Dog bites are a top injury category for Long Island carriers. File the CA-1 immediately and get medical treatment. Document the animal and the address.
- ✓LLV and Promaster accidents: Long Island roads are congested. Right-hand-drive vehicles have blind spots. Vehicle accidents during delivery are common and often cause back, neck, and shoulder injuries.
- ✓Parcel volume: E-commerce has changed the job. Carriers now handle far more heavy parcels per route than even five years ago. Repetitive heavy lifting is causing more back and shoulder injuries than ever.
USPS Workers: Do Not Use Sick Leave Instead of Filing
This is the most common mistake USPS workers make on Long Island, and it costs them benefits they are entitled to.
If you are hurt on the job, file the CA-1. Do not let your supervisor talk you into using sick leave or annual leave. Filing protects your right to Continuation of Pay (up to 45 days of full salary), creates an official record of your workplace injury, and preserves your right to file for wage compensation (CA-7) if you miss more time later. Using sick leave does none of these things. File the claim. Call (516) 496-4444.
Frequently Asked Questions
I am a USPS letter carrier on Long Island. Where is the closest OWCP doctor?
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Our Woodbury office at 99 Sunnyside Blvd Extension, Suite 102, is centrally located in Nassau County. It is 15 to 25 minutes from most Long Island post offices. Call (516) 496-4444 to schedule.
My supervisor told me to use sick leave instead of filing a claim. Should I listen?
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No. File the CA-1 or CA-2. Using sick leave means you burn your own time off, lose your right to Continuation of Pay (45 days of full salary), and create no official record of a workplace injury. File the claim and protect your benefits.
I got bitten by a dog on my route. Is that covered by OWCP?
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Yes. A dog bite on your delivery route is a traumatic injury covered under FECA. File a CA-1 immediately, get medical treatment, and report the dog to animal control. We treat dog bite injuries and handle all the OWCP documentation.
Does OWCP cover my LLV accident?
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Yes. Vehicle accidents that occur while performing your postal duties are covered under FECA. File the CA-1, report the accident to your supervisor and USPS safety office, and call us to schedule treatment.
I have been a carrier for 20 years and my knees are worn out. Can I file?
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Yes. Chronic conditions that develop from years of work duties are occupational disease claims filed under CA-2. We write the detailed medical narrative connecting 20 years of walking routes to your current knee condition. These claims require strong medical evidence, and that is exactly what our 99% acceptance rate is built on.
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