Am I entitled to make a compensation claim for slipping in an office kitchen? The floor was wet and I slipped — dislocating my shoulder — my employer says he isn’t responsible as one of my colleagues cleaned the floor but forgot to put up hazard signs.
Your employer is the third party any potential claim for slipping in an office kitchen should be made against unless he is using the services of an external cleaning company. Even though it may have been a colleague who caused the accident your employer is still the negligent party. Your employer has a duty of care to provide all staff with a safe working environment; therefore while the floor is wet, warning signs should be displayed. It could also be the case that your employer may not possess warning signs or may not have adequately trained or monitored employers who are responsible for cleaning.
Of course you may be apprehensive about making a compensation claim for slipping in an office kitchen against your employer, this is quite natural but it is important to remember that your claim is made against your employer’s insurance company and not your employer. You should also be aware that USA law states that no ramifications are permitted against an employee who rightfully makes a compensation claim for an injury sustained at work against an employer.
Before pursuing a claim for slipping in an office kitchen, it is important that you seek prompt medical attention as a failure to do so not only could be dangerous for your health but could also jeopardise your compensation claim as it could be alleged by your employer’s insurance company that your injury was not serious enough to seek professional medical care.
Once you have done this, you should make an entry about the incident in your employer’s ‘Accident Report Book’ and contact a personal injury lawyer. The majority of personal injury lawyers in the USA offer a free consultation service, therefore you can have your claim evaluated taking all factors into account without being under any financial obligation to your lawyer. Knowing the potential value of your compensation claim is especially useful if your employer’s insurers make you an early offer of compensation upfront.
Frequently these offers are far below the amount you may be entitled to if you pursued the claim further. Therefore if you know the potential value of your claim for slipping in an office kitchen you can make an informed decision about pursuing the claim or settling with your employer’s insurers, however it is important that you seek advice from your personal injury lawyer before making a decision.