Work Falls Resulting In Injuries

Have you ever noticed an unsafe ledge, stairwell, or other condition at your workplace and wondered if it could cause an injury to you or another employee?

In every place of employment there are risks of employee injury. In some instances, aspects of a building or property could lead to injuries. For instance a stairwell that is narrow and steep, a parking lot with uneven pavement, or unmarked doorsills. In other instances, unsafe conditions are created by human negligence or error. This may include cables or cords across a hallway or coffee spilled in the break room. Even a small fall could cause serious injury.

Potential Injuries from a Fall

The Law Office of Albert J. Talone has represented clients who slipped, tripped, or fell in the most obvious of places, and those who fell in the least likely way. It turns out, falling is an incredibly common way for employees to get hurt at work, and accounts for a huge number of workers’ compensation claims each year.

If an employee fall at work he or she is most likely to:

• break or fracture their arm
• suffer a head or neck injury
• have a cut or scrape
• require stitches or staples
• reinjure their back or shoulder
• twist or sprain an ankle and
• suffer a spinal injury

In some cases these injuries heal in a matter of hours or days. While other employees could be restricted from working or other activities for a long time after a fall. In particular, the aggravation of a back injury or other preexisting condition could leave an employee out of work for an extended period of time. Luckily, for these all too common trips, slips, and falls workers’ compensation is available to provide disability benefits.

Discussing a Fall with Your Employer

Despite the frequency of falls at work, it can still be difficult to collect workers’ compensation benefits related to a slip or fall at work. Many employees think falling was an action within their control. Also, it can be embarrassing to fall, even if it does hurt or result in injury. Lastly, after a minor fall most employees move on with their workday and shake off the immediate pain. In all cases, the employee may not report the incident.

This is a mistake, and could restrict the employee’s access to workers’ compensation benefits. Report all falls, even if injury is not immediately apparent. Hours, days, or weeks after a fall an employee could be feeling the effects of landing on a wrist, ankle, or joint, but at this later time it is more difficult to connect this injury with an incident at work.

Reporting any fall to a supervisor is the best action an employee can take.

Speak with a New Jersey Lawyer

If you fell at work and suffered injuries to your back, knees, tailbone, or wrists due to a fall, you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for medical expenses and lost wages. Do not let embarrassment or uncertainty of your claim prevent reimbursement for these costs. The Law Office of Albert J. Talone will ensure you receive the benefits you deserve. Call our office at (856)-234-4023 today.