Slip and fall accidents can occur when an obstacle, slippery surface, or other hazards can cause a person to lose balance and fall to the ground. Impact with the hard ground can expose someone to harm, as the direct pressure can cause broken bones, back injuries, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
These types of accidents can happen at workplaces, and a workplace slip and fall accident can allow an employee to pursue worker’s compensation benefits. This lets employees receive compensation for a percentage of their lost wages and medical bills while they are away from work recovering from severe injuries. However, there are certain steps an employee must take to ensure they can receive worker’s compensation benefits, which an experienced worker’s compensation lawyer can help them with.
Causes of a Workplace Slip and Fall
Workplaces can provide several walking hazards that can cause a slip and fall accident. A workplace like a shipping yard, construction site, or product manufacturing plant can have a lot of obstacles that can cause a person to slip and fall. A less chaotic and active workplace, such as an office, can also have walking hazards that an employer must keep track of. Failing to fix walking hazards can result in an employee suffering a slip and fall accident that can cause severe injuries, such as broken bones, back injuries, and spinal cord injuries.
The following are some of the common causes of slip and fall accidents:
- Wet floors without a wet floor sign
- Loose tiling
- Uneven flooring
- Exposed electrical wiring
- Missing steps
- Potholes in the parking lot
- Torn carpets
What Should You Do After a Workplace Slip and Fall?
After suffering a workplace slip and fall accident, there are certain steps that you must take to increase your chances of recovering worker’s compensation. If you do not take these steps, your employer may deprive you of your benefits, reducing your chances of receiving compensation while you recover from your severe injuries.
You should take the following steps after a slip and fall accident at work:
- Receive medical attention: If you suffered a severe injury from a workplace slip and fall that requires time off work, you should receive medical attention from an on-site doctor or at a local medical facility. It will allow you to begin treatment for your injuries and show the severity of the injury to your bosses.
- Document evidence of slip and fall hazards: Use your phone to take pictures of the slip and fall hazards, such as wet floors, missing steps, and parking lot potholes. You can use these pictures to establish there was a hazard without proper signage to warn people of the danger.
- Report the slip and fall accident to your superior: To recover worker’s compensation benefits, you must file a report about your slip and fall accident with your employer. Your employer can reject your worker’s compensation claim if you do not file a report. Read your employee handbook to learn about the procedure for filing a report about your severe injury.
- File a worker’s compensation claim: If you require extensive medical treatment and time off work due to a severe slip and fall injury, you should file a worker’s compensation claim. This can allow you to recover a percentage of compensation for your lost wages and medical bills. File this as soon as possible to begin the process of receiving compensation early.
Learn more: How Much is a Slip and Fall Claim Worth?
Can You Receive Worker’s Compensation Benefits for a Workplace Slip and Fall?
Worker’s compensation allows employees to receive monetary benefits for an injury that occurs while on the job. An injured employee can receive partial payment of their medical bills and lost wages. Usually, the employee will receive about 2/3rds of the pay they would have earned had they not received a severe injury. The injury must occur during work hours. Injuries incurred when an employee visits the office when they are off the clock do not qualify for worker’s compensation.
Slip and fall accidents are the leading cause of workplace accidents and lead to the most worker’s compensation claims. Employers will have a procedure in place for an employee to follow to recover worker’s compensation benefits for a slip and fall. It can include reporting the accident to a superior, regularly visiting a doctor selected by the company, and keeping the employer up-to-date on your physical condition. You can receive worker’s compensation benefits as long as you are off work to recover from your injuries.
What Can Prevent You From Recovering Worker’s Compensation Benefits?
Despite suffering a severe injury from a workplace slip and fall, your employer could reject your worker’s compensation claim. Each employer will have their own process for recovering worker’s compensation benefits. Failing to follow the steps properly could put you at risk of not recovering compensation while you recover from work injuries.
The following are some of the reasons your worker’s compensation claim could be rejected, or you could stop receiving benefits:
- You did not file a report with your employer about your slip and fall accident
- You caused the slip and fall accident through negligence
- You did not visit the employer-assigned physician
- You failed to follow the physician’s advice regarding your injury recovery
- Social media posts indicate you’re not as injured as you claim
- You fail to return to work when you are physically able
A Worker’s Compensation Lawyer Can Help With the Process of Recovering Benefits
The process for recovering worker’s compensation benefits can be complicated, and small mistakes can hurt your chances of recovering compensation. A worker’s compensation lawyer can help with the process of filing a worker’s compensation claim. They can help you file complex paperwork, represent you in dealings with your employer, and ensure your rights as an employee are protected. Your best chance at receiving worker’s compensation benefits is by allowing an experienced attorney to walk you through the best process for filing your worker’s compensation claim.
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Worker’s Compensation Claim
If you suffered a slip and fall at work, The Russo Firm’s experienced worker’s compensation lawyers can help you file a claim to recover a percentage of your medical bills and lost wages. Filing a worker’s compensation claim can require a lot of paperwork and adhering to company standards. Our worker’s compensation lawyers have worked with workplace accident victims for many different types of companies and can use that experience to inform your process of applying for worker’s compensation benefits.
Our personal injury lawyers offer free consultations to victims of slip and fall accidents, car accidents, medical malpractice, etc. to show how we can help them pursue compensation for damages. Contact us at (561) 270-0913 or leave a message on our online contact page.
