By Juan Lucia
A slip and fall accident can occur anywhere and everyone can experience it at some point in their life. Additionally, such an accident can cause severe injuries causing a victim to undergo pain and suffering, financial loss, lost wages, and other non-economic damages. Nevertheless, you might seek compensation for damages incurred if your accident occurred on someone else’s property. However, your claim should require supporting evidence to prove the owner was at fault. For this reason, the steps you take after a slip and fall accident might be crucial in building a winning legal lawsuit. There are several recommendations for what to do after a slip and fall accident to keep in mind.
Seek medical treatment immediately
Typically, your health should be the priority if involved in a slip and fall. Therefore, you should seek medical treatment immediately even without any injuries or symptoms of the accident as they may not appear on the spot. This step is crucial as you can use it in obtaining documentation of your injuries, medical records and bills that can serve as evidence in supporting your settlement claim.
Report the Accident
Whether the accident took place on the sidewalk, work, in a store, or anywhere, you should report it to the supervisor, manager or the person in charge. Additionally, you should ensure that they write it down as a report and request a copy of the same. This report can be used in preventing the owner from denying that you slipped and fell on their premises. Also, you should write down the names, address, email addresses and phone numbers of any employees or customers you spoke to at the incident as they can serve as witnesses to your case.
Take Photos
Taking photographs should act as evidence in proving the liability of the premise owner as they can show the location of where you fell, and the cause of this type of accident. Additionally, you should record the time and date you were involved in the accident.
Contact an experienced personal liability attorney
Contacting an attorney is one of the most important steps you can take if you’re unsure about what to do after such an accident. This is because an attorney can help in getting the justice you deserve as they have dealt with cases of such accidents before. In addition, your lawyer can help in negotiating for a fair settlement claim by using evidence, witness testimonials and verifications that build a strong case against the defendant.
Other steps to take after a slip and fall can include :
- Inspecting the Scene
- Not signing or agreeing to any documents presented to you by the property owner’s insurance company
Conclusion
The above-mentioned steps should be a starting point towards proving you were not at fault but rather it was the responsibility of the property owner to carry out the duty to care. As a result, you could claim compensation for damages incurred as slip and fall cases might lead to long-term health issues that require constant hospital visits.
