Slip and Fall

Have you suffered from a sudden, painful slip and fall at your workplace? Has your employer disregarded your workers’ compensation injury benefit claims? Have you submitted your claim and were denied? If so, we can help you.

A slip and fall injury is a general term used to describe an accident where a person slips, trips, or falls. In workers’ compensation, fault is not an issue. This means that whether you slip and fall because of the negligence of someone else or simply because of your own error in judgment, workers’ compensation will be responsible for providing medical care for your injuries if your accident occurred in the course and scope of your employment. If the slip and fall involves hazardous conditions brought on by someone else’s negligence, specifically someone who does not work for your employer, additional remedies in circuit court may be available to you. For example, a third party incident could occur when a shipping company employee makes a delivery to your place of work and negligently handles the contents, resulting in injury.

In order for you to receive compensation from any accident, you must sustain some type of injury. For example, any injury caused from a dangerous condition on work premises, such as changes in flooring, narrow stairs, torn carpeting, exposed cables, spilled liquids, inadequate/non-existent warning signs, abrupt elevator stops, poor lighting, and wet floors would qualify as a personal injury case. Following these injuries, workers’ compensation usually includes payment of any medical bills, out of pocket expenses concerning medical treatment (i.e. medications and crutches), and nearly two–thirds of earnings lost during treatment and recovery.

According to the National Safety Council, slip and fall injuries are the most common type of work related accidents, as they make up over 20 percent of all workplace injuries. In majority, most slip and fall accidents cause moderate soft tissue injuries, including minor burns, small gashes, minor contusions and abrasions, and sprained tendons, ligaments and muscles. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a federal agency, regulates safety measures in the workplace. Any employer that does not abide by the requirements set forth can be fined or, even face imprisonment. However, in order to ensure a positive outcome of your claim, it is vital that the claim is reported and filed as soon as possible. The more time that passes before filing, the higher the chance that the supporting evidence of your case becomes reduced. Therefore, we recommend that you contact us immediately following the incident and resulting injury. We will help speak with you regarding your rights as well as discuss the most accommodating plan of action.

Unfortunately, many of these accidents are not even accidents at all. Rather, they are simply the inevitable consequences of unsafe conditions that have been ignored or overlooked by your place of work. Here at the Law Office of Sadow & Gorowitz, we can offer our expertise in ensuring that you receive the necessary medical treatment that you not only deserve but also need to make a full recovery and return to your daily routine.