If you suffer a slip-and-fall injury at work in Greenville, SC, you may receive cash compensation, medical care, and more. Our experienced Greenville workers’ compensation lawyer at Bobby Jones Law explains what you may be entitled to receive in your slip-and-fall at work settlement.

What Counts as a Slip-and-Fall Injury at Work in South Carolina?

A slip-and-fall injury at work in South Carolina is an injury by a slip or fall accident that arises out of and in the course of employment.

Most Common Causes of Workplace Slip-and-Fall Accidents in Greenville

Common causes of workplace slip-and-fall accidents in Greenville include:

Working on a ladder, chair, platform, or other elevated surface
Spill or transient substance on the floor, slippery surface, broken flooring
Inadequate footwear
Being struck by an object or equipment
Failure of a fall arrest system
Bad lighting
Clutter, cables along the floor, crowding
Wet floor with no caution sign
Weather conditions
Steps, ramps, other uneven flooring
Explosions
Jostling crowds

For a slip and fall to count as a workplace injury, you must be an employee, rather than a contractor or someone casually hired to do a job.

Workers’ Comp vs. Personal Injury: Which Covers Your Workplace Slip and Fall?

A workplace slip and fall may be workers’ compensation, personal injury, both, or neither.

Workers’ compensation – Accident, arising out of employment, course of employment

To qualify for workers’ compensation, a slip-and-fall injury at work must meet three criteria:

Accident
Arising out of employment
In the scope of employment

Accident

South Carolina courts say that the term “accident” focuses on the injury itself rather than on an unusual event or occurrence. They say that some accidents result from negligence, fatigue, or miscalculation, while others are truly accidents. Either way, the worker doesn’t intend to get hurt, so the slip-and-fall injury is accidental.

Arising out of employment

A slip and fall arises out of employment when the employment is a contributing, proximate cause of the fall. The question is whether the worker would have been equally exposed to the fall apart from employment. The danger must be specific to the work, rather than common to the neighborhood.

Course of employment

The course of employment means that the slip and fall must occur within the worker’s duties or be incidental to them. For example, a fall while carrying boxes of company product is likely in the course of employment. A fall while walking into a coffee shop the employee stopped at on the way to an appointment may not be covered, unless it’s a work duty.

When Can You Sue a Third Party for a Workplace Slip and Fall in South Carolina?

Even though workers’ compensation helps slip-and-fall victims quickly access benefits, you may still be able to sue a third party for a workplace slip and fall in South Carolina. Third parties are not excused from negligence and other misconduct just because the injured person happens to be on the job. The same standards for personal injury that apply in Greenville, SC, continue to apply. For personal injury, you must prove legal fault and your right to compensation.

Many Greenville, SC personal injury claims are brought before the Greenville County Circuit Court of Common Pleas.

What Benefits Can You Recover After a Slip and Fall at Work in SC?

If your claim falls under workers’ compensation, the benefits you may recover after a slip and fall at work include:

Medical treatment (to diagnose, treat, cure, and provide relief)
Replacement wages (which is 66 2/3% of pre-injury wages)
Disability compensation
Vocational rehabilitation

If your claim is a third-party personal injury claim, you may receive:

Costs of medical bills
Property damage
Lost wages
Pain and suffering
Emotional anguish
Disfigurement, impairment
Other financial losses, other personal suffering, and loss

Both workers’ compensation and personal injury compensation cover a worker for a slip-and-fall accident at work. But the types and amounts of compensation are different.

How Much Is a Slip and Fall at Work Settlement Worth in Greenville?

A slip and fall at work settlement amount depends on several factors:

How much medical care the person needs, including in the future
What the person earned before the injury
How the injury has impacted the person’s ability to work
Permanent disability and disfigurement
Whether the claim is workers’ compensation, personal injury, or both

An attorney can evaluate your case and provide guidance on the potential value of your case.

What To Do Immediately After a Slip-and-Fall Injury at Work

When a slip-and-fall injury occurs at work, take steps to prevent further harm to the injured person and others. Seek immediate medical attention. For non-emergencies, ask your employer for a list of approved healthcare providers.

Inform your employer of the accident. If the employer doesn’t complete an accident report and give you a copy, follow up with your employer by email or in writing.

You may involve a lawyer at any time in the process.

Common Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Workplace Slip-and-Fall Claim in SC

Mistakes that may negatively affect a workplace slip-and-fall claim in SC include:

Failing to report the injury to the employer and document the report
Not receiving prompt medical attention
Discarding paperwork
Going outside of restrictions for working or personal activity
Errors in wage calculation
Assuming that the disability rating is correct
Not getting a second opinion when medical care is insufficient

If the employer refuses your claim, you can challenge it. You may have legal representation in this process.

Why Greenville Slip-and-Fall Victims Need an Experienced Greenville Workers’ Compensation Attorney Before Talking to Insurance

Insurance companies don’t want to pay injured workers. If you have a slip-and-fall injury at work, an experienced Greenville workers’ compensation attorney can fight for you, show the insurance company you’re serious, and help you with each next step as you pursue your benefits, compensation, and settlement.