Slip and fall injuries are not uncommon in any profession, but those where workers spend a lot of time on their feet, such as retail or food service. Like other industrial injuries, if an employee can demonstrate that he or she sustained injury after falling during the course and scope of their working duties, then he or she may be entitled to workers’ compensation. For example, a food server who slips and falls on a wet floor in the dishwashing area of the restaurant during a shift could have a valid claim for workers’ compensation.
It should also be noted that slip and fall cases are common in tort law. Customers or visitors can sue a business or property owner if they sustain injury after falling. In those cases, the injured person will have to show that the conditions that led to the fall were caused by the business or property owner’s negligent or even intentional conduct. However, workers’ compensation is a “no fault” system. This means that the injured employee will not have to show that the conditions that led to the injury were caused by the employer’s negligence. The employee will only have to demonstrate that the injury was sustained in the course and scope of the worker’s duties. Note that depending on the duties of the employee, it is not necessary that the injury be sustained while the employee is physically at the employer’s place of business. For example, if the worker is a courier who slips and falls while making a delivery for the employer, then the injured employee can seek benefits under workers’ compensation.
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