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Slip and Fall Injuries and Workers’ Compensation

By R. Kenneth Helms, Jr. February 3, 2020

Personal Injury

Slip and Fall Injuries

Slips and falls are incidents that lead to premises liability or personal injury claims. A necessary component of these claims involves a dangerous condition that caused the victim to slip, trip, or fall and become injured as a result. These dangerous conditions often include defects or irregularities in the flooring or stairs, foreign objects, a hole in the ground. Hazardous conditions could be permanent issue, such as broken railings, steps or pallets, or one that is temporary, like slippery substances on the floor from the weather, spills, or leaks.

Property owners and/or managers may not be found negligent in these situations if the dangerous condition was “open and obvious.” If the owner or his employees did not create the dangerous condition, then they can sometimes successfully claim that they were unaware of it, or that they lacked the ability to take action to prevent the resulting accident.

If you slip and fall in public, then try to gather as much information as possible that could help your case. Identify the condition that caused your fall and alert the person in charge of the premises. Take photos of the scene of the incident and the dangerous condition that existed which resulted in your fall. Try to get the names and contact information of any witnesses to your fall. Report the incident to the store manager and/or employee, request an accident report, and call emergence medical responders, if necessary.

What if the Accident Happened at Work?

It is essential that you report an incident and injury to your employer as soon as possible. You should seek medical attention immediately thereafter, either from your primary doctor or then emergency room.

Each state varies in the time limit you have to report the accident before your workers’ compensation claim is rejected. In North Carolina, you have 30 days to send a written notice to your employer.

Injuries may occur due to slippery or dangerous conditions on the surface of the floor, just like in other types of slip and fall accidents. Workers’ compensation will likely cover repetitive motion injuries that are known as work-related injuries (such as carpel tunnel), as well as slip and fall injuries, and other types of injuries that happen at work.

Contact an Experienced Slip and Fall Attorney Today

If you have been injured in a slip and fall or a work-related incident, then consult with the attorneys at Helms Law Group, P.A. today to see what legal remedies are available to you. Contact us today.