What You Should Do After Suffering A Slip And Fall
When you are injured in a situation that is not your fault, you have the right to seek compensation from the responsible party. However, what you do after an accident can have a big impact on if you receive compensation. Here are some tips for handling a slip and fall accident.
Notify The Property Owner Immediately
You should always notify the property owner about a slip and fall as soon as it happens. You do not want there to be any doubt about when or how the injury happened, and the best way to do that is to bring it to the owner's attention immediately.
Take Photos Immediately
It's always a good idea to snap photos of the accident site right after the injury happened to document what the situation was like. If you slipped on an icy sidewalk, you want the current conditions of what the sidewalk looked like. If you come back later to document it, that ice could have melted or the property owner may have cleared out the ice. Without the proof of how your accident occurred, the property owner could claim that it didn't happen as you described.
Don't Agree To Anything
When talking to the property owner, you will want to get the contact information from them and cut off communications. You don't want to end up accidentally agreeing to anything through the course of a conversation. For example, if you slip and fall at a store, the owner may agree to pay for your items you were shopping for to make up for the accident. This could be seen as you agreeing to compensation for the accident, which could put you in a situation where it seems like the property owner doesn't have to pay for your much higher medical bills.
Another problem is accidentally signing something from the property owner without fully understanding the document. While you may think you are signing some sort of documentation saying that the accident happened, you may be signing a document waiving your rights to sue the property owner for the accident. That is why you are always best leaving the communication to your lawyer. By letting them speak on your behalf, it will ensure that the case is being handled according to the law and with your best interest in mind.
Reach out to a personal injury attorney if you have any questions about your slip and fall case.