I recently slipped on tea and broke my ankle from the fall. Am I eligible to claim compensation for slipping on tea in an office kitchen?
In order to successfully claim compensation for slipping on tea in an office kitchen you must demonstrate that your employer’s negligence led to the accident and consequently your injury. Employers have a duty of care to provide staff with a safe working environment and you must prove that your employer failed to provide you with a duty of care.
Of course it is possible that there is little your employer could have done to prevent the accident from occurring, a member of staff may have spilt the tea literally seconds before you slipped on it in which case it is unlikely you would be successfully able to claim compensation for slipping on tea in an office kitchen.
However, if the tea had been spilt and remained there for a considerable period of time prior to your fall, then you may be entitled to compensation because even though a work colleague may be to blame for the accident, your employer is still regarded as the negligent party.
In the immediate aftermath of the accident, seeking professional medical attention should be your main priority and once this has been done, you should speak with a personal injury solicitor. They will be able to help you gather evidence to support your claim such as obtaining testimonies from witnesses who saw the accident, getting the rota to investigate when the kitchen had last been cleaned and how often, taking photographs of the scene if possible and obtaining any available CCTV footage of the accident.
They may also advise you to make an entry of the incident in your Employer’s ‘Accident Report Book’. Once you have made this entry there is a possibility you could be contacted by your employer’s insurance company with an early offer of compensation for your injuries. While you should be wary of any such offer and refer it immediately to your solicitor to ensure you are not undercompensated for your injuries, the offer should be welcomed as it shows that the insurance company is prepared to accept liability for your injuries.
If an offer is forthcoming your solicitor will enter into negotiations with your insurance company to ensure you receive the maximum amount of compensation for slipping on tea in an office kitchen.