Slip and Fall Accidents while on the job are a leading cause of injuries at American workplaces. In addition to tens of thousands of nonfatal occupational injuries due to falls, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said 668 workers died in falling, slipping, or tripping accidents in one recent year.
Worksites in New York and New Jersey are legally obligated to take certain safety measures to guard against slip-and-fall accidents, including training employees and issuing safety equipment in some occupations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has numerous regulations addressing fall safety on the job.
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a slip-and-fall accident on the job, contact the Ginarte law firm today. Our workplace injury attorneys have over 150 years of combined legal experience to bring to bear when helping victims of on-the-job accidents recover the compensation they deserve.
Jobs and Worksites Most at Risk for Falls
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says falls are a persistent hazard found in all occupational settings.
The CDC says accidental falls happen most often in:
- Construction.
- Health services.
- Wholesale and retail.
- Healthcare support.
- Building cleaning and maintenance.
- Transportation.
- Material handling.
The largest number of fall-related fatalities occur in the construction industry, and the most non-fatal fall injuries occur in the health services and the wholesale and retail industries (stores and warehouses), the CDC says.
Common causes of falls in the workplace include:
- Wet, slippery, cluttered, or unstable walking and working surfaces.
- Holes in floors and wall openings.
- Unprotected edges of floors, decks, docks, etc.
- Unsafely positioned ladders, step stools, etc.
- Misused fall protection.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says employers must set up the workplace to prevent employees from falling off of elevated work stations or overhead platforms, or into holes in floors and walls.
OSHA requires employers to provide that fall protection for work at elevations of 4 feet in general-industry workplaces, 5 feet in shipyards, 6 feet in the construction industry and 8 feet in longshoring operations. OSHA also requires that fall protection be provided to those who work over dangerous equipment and machinery.
OSHA requires employers to:
- Provide working conditions that are free of known dangers.
- Ensure that work area floors are kept clean and, so far as possible, dry.
- Select and provide required personal protective equipment to workers at no cost.
- Train workers about job hazards in a language that they understand.
Compensation for Slip-and-Fall Accidents in the Workplace
If you have been injured in a fall while on the job, your medical costs and partial lost wages may be reimbursed through New York or New Jersey workers’ compensation program. These are “no-fault” insurance programs, which means employees do not have to prove the employer caused the injury to receive benefits.
In cases in which a worker’s injury was caused by a third party’s negligence, such as a subcontractor or manufacturer of faulty equipment, the employee may be able to pursue a personal injury claim for compensation in addition to workers’ comp benefits.
Construction workers injured in on-the-job falls in New York may also be able to pursue a personal injury claim against their employer and the property owner under a state labor statute known as the “scaffold law.”
Contact an Experienced NY / NJ Slip-and-Fall Injury Attorney
The experienced lawyers of the Ginarte law firm can help you obtain justice if you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a fall while working in New York or New Jersey.
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