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Fall in icy parking lot subject of federal lawsuit

On Behalf of | Jan 31, 2014 | Firm News

A slip-and-fall injury at a condominium complex in Pennsylvania illustrates how job-related injuries can occur almost anywhere depending upon the type of work in which a person is engaged. A contractor was involved in a workplace accident when he slipped on ice and fell as he walked across a parking lot on his way to do work in the condominiums.

The contractor claimed to have injured his hip, neck, leg and back in the fall. A lawsuit filed on his behalf alleges that the injured man lost wages totaling $24,000 and had his income-earning ability reduced due to the lingering effects of the workplace accident. The lawsuit is also asking the court to award compensatory damages, interest and the costs of the litigation to the injured man.

An on-the-job injury might not permit an injured worker to file a lawsuit for compensation. State workers’ compensation laws were enacted to protect a person injured in a workplace accident by providing a method of compensation for medical expenses, lost wages rehabilitation costs and long-term disability without having to file a suit. Workers’ compensation laws do not limit an injured person from suing third parties, such as the owners of the condominium complex parking lot, for damages on the theory that the owners were negligent in not warning the contractor of the dangerous black ice condition that existed.

An individual who is injured while at work might not be limited to workers’ compensation benefits. Depending upon the circumstances of how the workplace accident occurred, an injured worker might have a cause of action for damages against a negligent party. An attorney might be a resource for information and guidance for an injured person.

Source: The Pennsylvania Record, “Contractor sustained back injuries after slipping on black ice in lot of condo complex, suit alleges“, Jon Campisi, January 17, 2014

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