Slip and fall incidents can be a bit confusing to navigate. On one hand, they seem quite simple to resolve: You’re injured on someone else’s property, you sue them for your medical expenses – rather straightforward.
Still, there is a lot of evidence to gather in terms of proving liability and providing documentation for the extent of your injuries. Additionally, you must be wary of whom you discuss details of the incident with, so you do not harm your chances of earning compensation. With all this considered, you must be clear on all the steps you must take following a slip and fall accident to build the strongest case possible for your compensation.
1. Record the Details of the Scene
One of the challenges of slip and fall incidents is that you must prove the negligence and liability of the property owner. Recording all the relevant details of the incident will help to build your case. The best way to go about documenting the scene is to do the following:
- Photograph the area where you fell (make sure to include images of any substance or object that was on the floor and caused or contributed to your fall).
- Record the property owner’s name.
- Record the name and/or address of the establishment and where in the building your fall occurred.
- If there were witnesses, take down their contact information so that they can provide further information for your lawyer as your case develops.
- Fill out a slip and fall incident report (many commercial properties have protocols in place to record and respond to slip and falls, they should have this document available to you).
2. Seek Medical Assistance
Not all slip and fall accidents are just a quick slip on a slight puddle from which you can hop right back up and move along with your day. Some incidents can be quite severe and leave the individual sore or otherwise in pain for days after. Additionally, not all injuries show symptoms right away. For instance, if you fell and braced yourself with your wrist, you may write the soreness off as just a temporary discomfort. Days later, however, this pain may persist and reveal that it was a serious sprain all the while.
Visiting a doctor immediately after your accident can mitigate any harmful effects of injuries that may not have been apparent right after your fall. (For those incidents where an individual hit their head, concussions are the primary example of an injury that may not be immediately obvious but have lasting repercussions.)
3. Contact an Attorney
Now that you have all your details aligned, you need to hire an attorney to recover the appropriate compensation for your injuries. You must minimize discussions about the incident with anyone other than your attorney to protect yourself against the possibility of anyone twisting your words and turning the case against you.
Your attorney will conduct investigations and speak to witnesses as needed to gather as many details as possible. This will allow them to build the strongest case possible for your protection and wellbeing.