Falling while walking somewhere for work: not necessarily a work-related fall.
Walking from one place to another during the work day doesn’t seem like a risky activity that would cause falls.
But when you add other facts to the mix, such as how quickly you had to get where you’re going, and whether you were carrying work items at the time, your risk of falling can increase.
When you have such a fall and you want to make a claim for benefits under Illinois workers’ compensation for your injury, these are the facts you need to look at. Because even if you’re at work at the time of your fall, and even if you are carrying something you need for work, your fall won’t necessarily be connected enough with your employment to entitle you to benefits for your injury.
What distinguishes one work-place fall from another, when the conditions of the walkway were not involved? Here are some factors to consider that could turn a fall from being an event that anyone in the public could experience, to an event comes within the benefits of workers’ compensation:
· Your job created a distraction while you were walking. Sometimes work conditions can distract you while you’re walking, such as a teacher walking in a hallway with students.
· You were carrying something related to your job that increased the risk of your fall. Importantly, every fall while carrying items for work is not automatically a work fall, without something more, for example:
1. Did the job-related items in your hands make it more likely that you would fall? If you were carrying something for work that was heavy, or blocked your view, or was fragile, these factors could be involved in making you fall.
2. Did the job-related items in your hands or arms prevent you from being able to brace yourself as you were falling, so you couldn’t catch yourself?
3. Was the job-related item heavy or sharp so that it made your injury worse when you fell?
On the other hand, in a recent claim for workers’ compensation benefits, a woman fell while walking down a hallway with a cup of coffee in one hand, and a messenger bag across her chest. Though it could be argued that these items were related to her job, they did not contribute to making her more likely to fall, or increasing the danger of the fall itself. She was denied benefits for her injury.
Unexplained fall such as this one can be tricky to reconstruct and figure out what caused them, or what could have prevented more serious injury. But looking at the facts involved in what was going on around you and with you, can help to narrow down whether your fall and injuries entitle you to workers compensation benefits.
We are workers' compensation attorneys that help people with Illinois work injuries anywhere in IL via our statewide network of attorneys. Contact us and we will answer your questions or find the right lawyer for your situation.
