Slip and Fall in the Workplace | Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A.

What To Do After a Slip, Trip, or Fall at Work?

Whether you trip over a piece of machinery, slip on a wet floor, or fall from a ladder, you should take certain steps to protect your health and your rights:

Get medical help as soon as possible – If you sustain an injury in a slip and fall accident at work, you should seek medical treatment.

Report your injury to your employer – Inform your employer of the accident’s date, time, and location. You should report the workplace accident to your employer as soon as possible.

Obtain evidence – Take photographs of your injuries and the area where the accident occurred. Get the contact information of any witnesses.

Seek legal advice – Workers’ compensation is the primary insurance for workplace injuries. If your employer disputes your right to workers’ compensation benefits, consult an attorney with experience handling workers’ compensation cases. An attorney also can evaluate whether you may have a right to pursue a third-party claim if someone other than your employer created unsafe conditions that contributed to your accident. The experienced workplace injury attorneys at Younce, Vitipil, Baznik & Banks are ready to help with your claim.

How Our Workers Compensation Attorneys Can Help

Although you’re not required to have an attorney for a workplace injury case, it is in your best interest to have an attorney’s guidance if you need to appeal a benefits decision, if the employer is trying to push you back to work too soon, or negotiate a settlement. The attorneys with Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. can investigate the circumstances of your workplace accident and help you seek all the benefits you are owed.

In addition to workers’ compensation benefits, we can review the circumstances of your injury to determine if you might have the basis for pursuing a personal injury claim against someone other than your employer. This could allow you to recover additional compensation beyond that provided by workers’ comp insurance.

Benefits You’re Entitled to After an Injury at Work

North Carolina requires nearly all employers with at least three employees to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ comp claims don’t require you to prove negligence or other liability. Instead, you are eligible for workers’ comp benefits if the accident happened while you were at work or performing work-related tasks. If you meet these conditions, you may be entitled to the following benefits:

Coverage for all necessary medical care related to the injury

Payment of two-thirds of your lost wages while you cannot work

Compensation for permanent impairment resulting from the accident

Compensation for scarring

Compensation for travel expenses

Compensation for the cost of medicine

Vocational rehabilitation

Statistics on Slips, Trips, and Falls in the Workplace

Consider the following statistics on slips, trips, and falls in the workplace provided by the National Floor Safety Institute:

Falls are the leading cause of workers’ compensation claims nationally, accounting for about 85 percent of all claims.

These claims cost about $70 billion annually.

While slip and fall accidents are not the primary cause of workplace deaths, they are the top reason for missed days at work.

Every year, about 600 people die because of work-related falls.

North Carolina Laws Regarding Third Parties Causing Injuries in the Workplace

If you are eligible for workers’ compensation, then you typically are prohibited from filing a lawsuit against your own employer. But multiple businesses may be active at the same business location or construction site. For example, another company or a vendor may have improperly erected scaffolding that contributes to a serious slip-and-fall accident.

What Causes Fall Injuries at the Workplace?

Though some jobs have a higher risk for falls than others, anyone can suffer a serious injury on the job. Falls may occur because of the following:

Wet or oily surfaces – Any kind of leak or spill can create a slippery surface. There could be a water leak from a burst pipe, an oil spill from a heating system, or a spilled drink in the break room. Spills can happen anywhere in the workplace. Weather such as rain or snow also can cause slippery surfaces, especially around entranceways and on sidewalks.
Trip hazards – Loose mats or carpeting, steps at doorways, uneven flooring, cluttered walkways, and uncovered cables can cause trips.
Poor lighting – Employees are at risk of slip and falls in areas with inadequate lighting or where burned-out bulbs have not been replaced.
Faulty equipment –A damaged office chair, loose rug, or unsecured cable could also present a tripping hazard.
Defective handrails – Faulty, loose, or missing handrails and defective stairwells can cause employees to lose their balance and fall.

Common Injuries from Falls in the Workplace

Falls can cause severe injuries such as:

Broken bones – Falling on a hard surface can lead to broken bones in the legs, arms, hips, rib cage, and shoulders. All of these injuries can require long-term treatment and rehabilitation.
Neck injuries – Neck injuries are often caused by a slip or a fall. They can cause damage to tendons, muscles, or ligaments in the neck.
Spinal cord injuries – Spinal cord injuries such as herniated or slipped discs, fractured vertebrae, and pinched nerves can result from a fall. The symptoms can vary from chronic pain and reduced mobility to paralysis.
Concussions – This common traumatic brain injury may occur when the head hits the ground after a fall. A brief loss of consciousness may occur.
Cuts and lacerations – This type of injury can occur when falling onto dangerous or sharp objects such as broken glass, jagged metal, or machinery. Such injuries may cause damage to nerves and soft tissue beneath the skin.
Facial injuries – A blow to the front of the head can result in a fractured jaw or damage to the eyes, nose, or teeth.

When Employers Dispute Your Workers’ Comp Claim

Employers have to pay for workers’ compensation insurance. Their annual premiums may go up if they have significant claims reported. Consequently, an employer or insurance administrator may try to dispute a claim to avoid the expense. They may argue the employee:

Was not performing work-related tasks when the accident occurred
Suffered the injury after clocking out
Fell because of intoxication or engaging in horseplay
Intentionally caused the accident to get out of work
Was not really an employee but an independent contractor

If your employer disputes your workers’ compensation claim, contact a North Carolina workers’ compensation lawyer with Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. immediately. We can investigate the incident, collect evidence to strengthen your claim and pursue an appeal if your claim has been denied. If you were hurt at work, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Let us help you demand everything you deserve.

How to Prevent Falls in the Workplace

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides employers with guidance on preventing slips and falls in the workplace. Employers should identify all potential slip and fall hazards within their worksites. These might include wet floors, debris left on walkways, elevated surfaces that need to be adequately secured, or poor lighting.

After identifying potential slip and fall hazards, employers should take steps to mitigate them by placing signs around the worksite that indicate slippery surfaces and warning workers to use caution. Employers should also ensure that walkways are free of debris and regularly inspect all stairs, ladders, and elevated surfaces to ensure they are safe.

Employers should consider providing employees with appropriate training to increase awareness of preventing workplace slips-and-fall hazards.

Get in Touch with Our Workers’ Compensation Attorneys

If you have suffered injuries from a fall at work, the attorneys at Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. are ready to help you pursue full workers’ compensation benefits. We have years of experience handling workers’ compensation claims as well as third-party lawsuits. The initial consultation is free. Let us help you pursue the benefits available to you under North Carolina law.

Slip and Fall in the Workplace in Raleigh, NC