Workers’ Compensation for Slip-and-Fall Injuries: What You Need to Know

Key Takeaways

• Workers’ compensation coverage typically extends to all employees injured during work-related activities, including part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers in Minnesota.
• Insurance companies frequently challenge claims using exclusions like horseplay, intoxication, or intentional self-injury to avoid paying benefits.
• Medical expenses, wage replacement, and disability benefits are the primary losses covered by workers’ compensation insurance.
• Even when workers’ compensation claims are filed, third-party lawsuits can be an option, potentially providing additional recovery options for you or your loved one.
• Documentation is a key element of successful claims, with photographs, incident reports, and witness statements being potentially crucial assets to your claim.
• Time limits require urgency from you, as your employer cannot deny your claim if you report it within 14 days, while other deadlines may also be critical to your claim’s success.
• You should not wait to speak with a workers’ comp attorney, they will protect your rights and not waste any time pursuing fair compensation for your work injury.

Who Qualifies for Workers’ Compensation After Slip-and-Fall Accidents?

Minnesota’s workers’ compensation system casts a wide net over employees who suffer slip-and-fall injuries while performing job duties.

Covered individuals typically include:

• Full-time and part-time employees across all industries
• Temporary workers assigned to specific projects or seasonal roles
• Apprentices and trainees learning job skills
• Volunteers in certain government or nonprofit positions
• Some independent contractors who meet specific legal criteria

You do not necessarily have to be injured in a traditional workplace setting to be covered, either. Employees injured while traveling for business, attending work-related conferences, or performing duties at off-site locations may still qualify for benefits.

Even injuries occurring in parking lots, sidewalks, or other areas adjacent to the workplace may fall under workers’ compensation protection if the employee was arriving at, leaving from, or conducting work business at the time of the accident.

Timing plays a crucial role in determining coverage eligibility. Slip-and-fall accidents that occur during official work hours typically receive straightforward approval, but injuries that happen during breaks, lunch periods, or before and after shifts require more careful analysis.

Minnesota law recognizes that employees often engage in work-preparatory activities outside their official schedules, potentially extending coverage to accidents occurring during these transitional periods.

Notable Exceptions That Can Void Coverage

While workers’ compensation insurance generally applies regardless of who is at fault for a work-related injury, there can be exceptions. Insurance companies scrutinize slip-and-fall claims in pursuit of these exceptions, which may save the insurer a substantial sum if it can deny the claim.

The primary exclusions in workers’ compensation insurance policies are:

• Injuries resulting from employee horseplay or irresponsible behavior unrelated to work duties
• Accidents caused by intoxication from drugs or alcohol
• Self-inflicted injuries or intentional harm
• Injuries sustained while committing a crime
• Accidents occurring during personal errands or activities unrelated to employment

Insurance companies will make false claims to avoid paying workers’ compensation claims. We have seen such bad faith firsthand, and we have several strategies for combating insurance companies’ attempts to underpay (or avoid paying) our clients.

The Costly Reality of Slip-and-Falls: Losses Covered in a Workers’ Compensation Claim

Minnesota’s workers’ compensation system provides several categories of benefits designed to address the various losses that slip-and-fall victims experience.

Medical benefits form the foundation of workers’ compensation coverage, which typically covers “reasonable and necessary medical treatment or supplies.” They are not the only losses for which injured workers receive compensation, though, as you may also be reimbursed for:

• Temporary disability payments replacing two-thirds of lost wages
• Permanent disability benefits for any long-term injuries
• Vocational rehabilitation services necessary to help you return to work
• All medical expenses stemming from the work-related injury
• Death benefits (in the case of a fatal work injury or illness)

You need to receive all the benefits to which you are entitled. There may be a brief waiting period before you are entitled to certain benefits, and your workers’ compensation attorney will discuss your option for financial support in the interim.

Each of our clients faces unique injuries, medical needs, and professional circumstances. Our firm’s personalized legal approach reflects how each workers’ compensation claim requires a unique strategy, which will include a comprehensive accounting of your covered losses.

Experienced and Determined: How Our Attorneys Get the Results Injured Workers Deserve

Workers’ compensation insurance seems straightforward, but you will quickly realize how complicated the process is. Between headache-inducing policy language and insurance companies actively working against you, completing an insurance claim is anything but easy.

Let the Mottaz & Sisk Injury Law team be your guides through the claims process. We have helped many workers throughout Minnesota secure the workers’ comp benefits they deserve, and we offer you:

• Thorough case investigation to establish that the injury is work-related
• Proper medical documentation and expert witness coordination
• Strategic negotiation with insurance adjusters and company representatives
• Appeals representation before administrative law judges
• Integration of workers’ compensation claims with potential third-party lawsuits

Our understanding of Minnesota’s specific laws, regulations, and procedural requirements ensures that your claim will be properly prepared and submitted with all necessary documentation. This attention to detail prevents the technical rejections that insurance companies use to deny legitimate claims.

Our firm is Minnesota’s voice for the injured. Though insurance providers do not always show our state’s workers the respect and dignity they deserve, we do.

Can I Sue for a Work-Related Injury?

When employers purchase workers’ compensation insurance, they typically gain protection from lawsuits. However, you may be eligible to sue if a third party was responsible for your injury or your employer did not have workers’ compensation insurance.

Some circumstances in which you can sue are:

• Third parties (such as contractors, visitors, and delivery personnel) caused dangerous conditions that led to the fall
• Property owners other than your employer failed to maintain safe premises
• Equipment manufacturers produced defective products (like floor tiles) that contributed to the accident

Third-party liability claims often require us to consider complex legal relationships between multiple entities that share responsibility for workplace safety. Construction sites exemplify these complicated scenarios, where general contractors, subcontractors, property owners, and equipment suppliers may all bear partial responsibility for slip-and-fall accidents affecting workers from different companies.

An experienced and trusted workers’ comp lawyer has experience leading:

• Product liability lawsuits targeting manufacturers of defective equipment, flooring materials, or safety devices that failed to prevent slip-and-fall accidents. Worn-out floor mats, malfunctioning drainage systems, or inadequate lighting fixtures can all generate manufacturer liability separate from workers’ compensation coverage.
• Premises liability claims focused on property owners who lease space to employers but retain responsibility for maintaining common areas like parking lots, sidewalks, or building entrances. When these property owners fail to address known hazards such as ice accumulation, broken pavement, or inadequate lighting, injured employees may pursue damage claims against both the property owner and through workers’ compensation.
• Intentional tort claims can arise in rare circumstances where employers deliberately create dangerous conditions or ignore obvious safety hazards with reckless disregard for employee welfare. These claims require proving that employers acted with intent to harm or with deliberate indifference to known dangers, setting a much higher legal standard than typical negligence cases.

Our Support Does Not Stop with Your Case—We Care for Our Clients, and It Shows

Our firm recognizes that slip-and-fall injuries create challenges beyond lost wages, medical bills, and physical pain. Injured workers face immediate medical needs, financial pressures, and practical obstacles that require comprehensive support throughout the recovery process. We provide that comprehensive support.

Our workers’ compensation attorneys maintain relationships with healthcare providers throughout Minnesota who understand workers’ compensation requirements and can provide the specific documentation needed to support your claim. We also help clients make sense of intricate provider networks and ensure that their treatment costs are covered.

Some more ways we support our clients as people are:

• Assistance in locating appropriate medical specialists for injury treatment
• Coordination with vocational rehabilitation services for job retraining
• Financial planning to deal with reduced income during your recovery period
• Communication with employers about providing accommodations once you are ready to return to work
• Connection with social services and community resources that may benefit your quality of life and aid in your recovery

Financial hardship may be inevitable after your slip-and-fall accident, especially when paychecks stop but expenses continue mounting. Our firm may provide referrals to financial counselors who specialize in helping you manage your resources during an extended recovery period.

Returning to work before you are ready can worsen injuries and jeopardize your long-term recovery. We protect our clients from undue pressure to resume working, and may even deal directly with your employer if necessary.