Dollar Tree is a popular store remaining open for long hours, so workers are travelling to and fro constantly. In winter in particular, at any time, a slip and fall accident on ice outside could take place unexpectedly while you are entering or leaving the store. It is Dollar Tree’s responsibility to ensure its entranceway is safe to use for both workers and customers. If a customer is injured they may be able to file a personal injury claim based on negligence, but a worker should be entitled to workers’ compensation for the time that needs to be taken off work to recover. Dollar Tree Company Profile Dollar Tree Stores, Inc., which used to be called ‘Only $1.00’, is a chain of discounted variety stores attracting customers by offering goods at $1 or less. Its headquarters can be found in Chesapeake, Virginia and it opened its doors in 1986. Today, it operates 14,835 stores in the country and in Canada. It employs around 175, 000 workers. What Are My Rights if I Slip and Fall on Ice at Dollar Tree? As with most workplaces, unless you are working as a contractor doing repair work for Dollar Tree, you should be covered by the company’s workers’ comp. insurance. This is a requirement in most states in America. You should be eligible for workers’ comp. as long as you slipped and fell on ice while on Dollar Tree’s premises. Any other injuries once you have left the premises are not covered by workers’ compensation. If your slip and fall accident was partly due to you not taking sufficient care while moving around on icy conditions you should still be eligible for workers’ compensation. It’s a no fault insurance. To ensure you qualify you have to let your Dollar Tree store know as soon as possible about your slip and fall accident. The Process for Filing a Slip and Fall Accident Once your Dollar Tree supervisor knows that you have had a slip and fall accident its insurer may want some evidence to prove the accident didn’t take place somewhere else. You can ask any eye witnesses to vouch for you. Also, it’s always helpful to have some photographic evidence of the accident scene. Your physician can be asked to provide a medical report that shows when the injury took place. This will be useful as it should provide some indication of how long it will take you to recover. If you feel Dollar Tree isn’t responding to your workers’ comp. claim you could contact a workers’ comp. attorney who will work on your behalf to help ensure you get your workers’ comp. entitlement. How a Workers’ Comp. Attorney May Help You Your workers’ comp. attorney knows how difficult it is sometimes is to get money out of insurers, so he or she will present all the evidence about your slip and fall accident on your behalf. The attorney should be able to procure your payment faster than you might be able to do by yourself. Your payment should include a percentage of lost wages while you couldn’t work and the cost of your medical treatment. Additional Resources What Should I Know Before I File a Claim Against Dollar Tree? Prepare a Workers' Compensation Suit Against Dollar Tree *Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Dollar Tree, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
