A slip and can happen anywhere, but a slip and fall at work can impede your ability to do your job.
A slip and can happen anywhere, but a slip and Even if your employer was not negligent, you can still recover compensation for your injuries. Workers’ comp is a no-fault system, which means that any workplace injury is compensable, as long as you were not breaking the law or company policy at the time of the injury. But unless a third party was involved in causing the injury, the benefits that you can recover are limited to the workers’ compensation system. Because of the workers’ compensation system, you cannot file a personal injury lawsuit against your employer.
However, if your employer has not purchased workers’ compensation you are able to bring a personal injury lawsuit against them. But to win a personal injury lawsuit, you must be able to prove that negligence was a factor in causing the accident.
Causes of slip and fall injuries
Slip and fall injuries can be caused by:
- Obstructed walkways
- Poor lighting
- Uneven floors
- Overhanging machineries
- Slippery floors
- Unsafe sidewalks
- Carpets
- Damaged floors
- Coworkers
Injuries from slip and fall accidents
Slip and fall accidents can cause injuries that are minor like bumps and bruises, sprains or strains, or are more serious like brain damage, paralysis, spinal injuries, and some accidents can even result in fatalities. The most common slip and fall injuries are back and knee injuries.
Liability
Because of how the workers’ compensation system works, you do not have to prove that your employer acted in a manner that was negligent and that was what caused the accident. Employers obtain workers’ comp insurance because it protects them from personal injury lawsuits. So you are entitled to compensation for any injury that arises from your work, regardless of whose fault the injury is. But you will probably be denied compensation if your own actions were against the law or if you were intoxicated and caused the accident. In order to prove liability in a workers’ compensation claim, all you will need to do is prove that the accident happened at work. And you will need to demonstrate that you were, in fact, injured and show documentation of medical bills, lost wages, and any other injury-related expenses.
St. Louis Workers’ Compensation Attorneys
An experienced workers’ compensation attorney can help you to recover benefits when you are injured in a slip and fall accident at work. The expertise of workers’ comp attorneys can be very useful in proving that the accident happened at work, that your injury is significant, and in successfully filing a workers’ comp claim. Having the appropriate documentation and filing an accident report correctly maximizes your chances of getting the compensation that you deserve quickly and minimizes the chances that your claim will be denied because of filing or technical errors.
Contact the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann if you have questions about an accident, employer’s response, or how to correctly file an injury report. We the experience necessary to assist you in receiving the compensation you are entitled to.
photo credit: Velo Steve