Slip and fall accidents can happen to anyone anywhere and at any time. These accidents are often quite unpredictable and result in significant physical injury to their victims, ranging from minor cuts, bruises, and contusions to major injuries like bone fractures, spinal injuries, concussions, paralysis, and more.
Aside from the significant physical and mental detriment to the victims, these accidents rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills and incidental expenses to get yourself back on your feet after a tough recovery. It might be next to impossible to pay these huge sums out of pocket, particularly if you do not have insurance.
Most slip and fall accidents tend to occur on private property like office buildings. These office slip and fall accidents can be harder to navigate for the injured workers because they often involve a complicated legal discourse surrounding the employer-employee dynamic. Due to the complicated nature of such slip and fall incidents, it bodes well to be aware of your legal rights in advance of such an accident ever occurring to you or your loved one.
How Do Slip and Fall Accidents in an Office Occur?
These types of accidents can occur due to poor safety conditions and lapses in regular safety checks that would otherwise result in the repair of the said conditions. Some of the most common hazards include poor lighting, loose carpeting, fluid spillage, broken walkways, missing handrails, broken or uneven stairs, wet or slippery floors, etc.
While the circumstances surrounding a slip and fall accident might vary, slip and fall accident-related injuries tend to follow a similar pattern. These injuries lie along a spectrum, varying from minor skin or deep tissue injuries to broken bones and a serious risk of temporary or permanent incapacitation, sometimes even rendering a person unable to continue their old job.
Seeing the physical, emotional, and financial toll of these accidents, it is natural to wonder whether you can pursue legal action against your employer if you feel that the accident resulted from their negligence.
Pursuing Legal Action
In most slip and fall accident cases, employers have the workers’ compensation protecting them from any civil lawsuits. If your accident comes within the purview of this legislation, you should consider filing a claim against the workers’ compensation insurance. On the contrary, if your employer does not have this insurance, you should consider pursuing a civil lawsuit, i.e., a personal injury lawsuit to seek adequate compensation for damages incurred as a result of the accident.
It is important to remember that there is a deadline for filing such a lawsuit and the duration varies from state to state. It is imperative to file an official complaint with the employer to get your accident and injuries documented, keep a thorough digital and physical proof of all official correspondence related to the accident and file a lawsuit as soon as you can.
Hiring an Attorney
With the clock ticking on your potential workplace slip and fall lawsuit, it does not hurt to have a professional by your side. An experienced attorney can help guide you through the complicated legal process and obtain the compensation you deserve for your damages, whether physical, emotional, financial, or otherwise.