Illinois Industrial Commission

inside a warehouseAn injured employee’s fall off scaffolding was found compensable even where the cause of the fall was unexplained.

The employee was working in very hot conditions and began to feel light-headed and exhausted.  He had no prior episodes of fainting or blacking out.  On this date, the employee was working on scaffolding, fell from the scaffolding and struck his head on the floor below.
Falls from epileptic seizures or fainting are usually not compensable and are called “idiopathic” falls.  However, if the employment contributes to the injury by placing the employee in a situation that increases the potential effects of a fall, the claim may be compensable.

 

Here, the metal scaffolding increased the chance of injury from a fall, and, as such, the claim was found compensable.