Can I File a Claim For an Injury I Got at a Holiday Work Party?

The holiday season is here again – a time for people to celebrate the end of the year and enjoy quality time with family and friends. It’s also the season for workplace parties, and many of us look forward to toasting our business accomplishments with colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere.

But what happens if you get injured at your holiday work party? While they’re thankfully pretty rare, work party accidents do sometimes occur. Here are some questions to consider if you’re thinking of filing a claim for a work party injury in the state of Maryland.

Was attendance mandatory (or were you paid/given other benefits or incentives to attend)? If you can prove that you were expected to attend your office holiday party, or you were at least rewarded for doing so, then you may be able to claim compensation if you were injured there. The rationale behind this is that your decision to attend was not based on personal choice, but rather a requirement (or an expectation) on behalf of your employers – so they’re responsible for your safety and wellbeing.

Was your injury the result of planned activities? Employers sometimes schedule team-building activities as part of their holiday festivities. If you’re injured participating in these activities, you may have a case for a claim.

Where was the event hosted? If the party was at your place of work, then your employers could potentially be held responsible for any injuries sustained there. If the party was elsewhere (at a restaurant, for example), you might be able to file a third-party liability claim – if you can prove that the third party was negligent in some way (say if you slipped and fell because of bad lighting or icy outdoor stairs).

Was alcohol involved? Alcohol tends to cloud people’s judgment, leading them to do things they might not ordinarily do. If alcohol is served at your work party and you’re injured in an accident as a result, you’ll need to demonstrate that your company (or a third party) showed negligence in their handling of the situation (making alcohol consumption a key component of the party’s activities, continuing to serve people even if they were visibly drunk, etc).

Can you be considered at fault? As we’ve mentioned in several other articles, Maryland is a contributory negligence state, which means that you can’t claim compensation if you’re found to be even 1% at fault in a personal injury case. Your best move is to speak to a qualified personal injury attorney, who can let you know how strong of a case you might have.

If you are injured at an office holiday party and you think you have a right to a claim, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Parr in Baltimore, MD today to schedule your free consultation. We don’t receive a fee unless we win.