Can I claim compensation for slipping in the office kitchens if my shift had finished? My boss said I should not have been in the kitchen after my shift and therefore cannot claim.
Eoin P. Campbell, LL.B., Solicitor
Editor in Chief
In order to be eligible to claim compensation for slipping in office kitchens, you must be able to establish that the accident in which you sustained an injury was caused by the negligence of your employer or another third party. Provided that this is the case, you should be able to make a claim for compensation for slipping in office kitchens.
If the floor of the office kitchen was greasy or slippery, your employer should have made arrangements for it to be cleaned. If the floor was wet, or if there was a spillage of tea or coffee, your employer must have been given a reasonable amount of time to arrange for cleaning to take place. Claiming compensation for slipping in office kitchens due to spillages can be complicated because it is the claimant’s responsibility to prove that your employer has been negligent, and that proof may involve determining exactly how long a hazard was present.
However, your right to claim compensation for slipping in office kitchens is unlikely to be affected by the fact that your shift had finished. Only if your employer had specifically instructed staff that the kitchen was closed for cleaning – and that no staff were to enter – would a claim for compensation for slipping in office kitchens be unlikely to be possible.
There are other factors which can affect your right to claim compensation for slipping in office kitchens, so it is important that you speak with a personal injury solicitor to confirm eligibility to make a claim. A solicitor will assess your claim and will also help you to prove that your employer has been negligent (if this is the case) and has failed in a duty of care to protect you from coming to harm in the workplace.
One of the main factors which can affect the right to make a claim is when medical attention is not sought. You will not be able to make a claim for compensation for slipping in office kitchens if you have not had your injury diagnosed and treated by a doctor or in a hospital. A claim for compensation for slipping in office kitchens should however be possible if you delayed seeking medical attention, such as if the seriousness of an injury was not immediately apparent and deteriorated after a few days. However the amount of slip injury compensation you receive may be reduced to take any personal negligence into account.