I slipped and fell at my Georgia job. Am I eligible for workers’ compensation benefits?

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If you slip and fall at work and are injured you may have a right to workers’ compensation benefits. Slip, trip and fall injuries are among the various types of workers’ compensation injuries that can occur. 

Is your fall work-related?

Under the Georgia Workers’ Compensation Act, an injury is compensable if it occurs “by an accident that arises out of and in the course of” employment.  What does that mean? An accident arises out of employment when there’s a causal connection between work circumstances and the injury.  Ask yourself, “Did my work duties cause me to get hurt? Would I have injured myself if I were not performing work-related tasks?” when examining whether your injury is work-related or not.

For slip, trip, and fall workplace injuries, the time to address them is prior to an incident occurring. Employers have a responsibility to their workers to ensure that the workplace is not conducive to an accident. This means that they should have systems and procedures in place that emphasize safety and responsible behavior on the job. It also means that the work area should be free of any obvious hazards to employees. All too often slips, trips, and falls at work are caused by an employer’s lack of vigilance in attending to these matters.

Slip and fall injuries in the U.S. by the numbers

In the U.S., slip and fall injuries at work:

  • Make up 15% of all workers’ compensation claims
  • Account for more than 15% of all accidental fatalities
  • Average $22,000 in workers’ compensation benefits per claim
  • Are accountable for 65% of lost work days
  • Are the third highest cause of workplace injuries
  • Result in 31 or more days away from work in 22% of cases
  • Are the single highest cause of emergency room visits
  • Cost American businesses billions annually

They are also the most preventable accidents to occur in the workplace. Unfortunately, in their haste to cut costs, some employers don’t adequately address things that could keep employees safer.  For instance, implementing a slip resistant shoe program could cut slip and fall accidents by 50% in many places of employment. Regular safety inspections and area maintenance can catch hazards before an employee is affected by them.

Slipping, tripping, and falling could cause an injury as minor as a sprained ankle or one as serious as traumatic injury or death. They are also the leading cause of back injuries in the workplace. All too often an employer will attempt to make a case that, though the employee was on the job, it was through some error of their own that they were injured. They may want to put you back on your feet far too soon, putting you at risk of serious re-injury if you’ve not had the proper time to heal.

Get help from our Workers Comp Lawyers

The effects of some slip, trip, and fall injuries may be far-reaching and difficult to quantify early  on. It’s important for injured workers to have proper guidance by sharp physicians and an experienced workers’ compensation attorney. As Atlanta workers’ compensation attorneys,  we have extensive working relationships with some of the best workers’ comp doctors in Georgia and want to make sure our clients get the benefit of the best possible attention, care, and financial help to which they’re entitled.

If you don’t feel like you’re getting a fair shake where your slip and fall injury is concerned, contact our law offices to speak to a knowledgeable Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer about your claim at 404-354-5432.. We want to help you.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2013 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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