A slip-and-fall accident can happen to anyone. Injuries resulting from slips and falls can vary from minor bruises to life-altering injuries like brain injury and broken bones.
If your slip-and-fall accident has been occasioned by negligence on the part of the property owner, landlord or property manager, you may pursue the at-fault party for a property liability claim. However, to protect your future claim for compensation, it is important that you take these steps immediately following your injury:
1. Seek medical attention
Seeking medical attention should be your first order of business following a slip and fall. Even if you do not feel seriously hurt, it is important that you see a doctor as some injuries may take longer to manifest. Besides spotting and treating your injuries in time, seeking immediate medical attention will also ensure that your injuries are properly documented so you can have credible evidence when litigating your claim.
2. Notify the property owner or manager
Whether you slipped and fell while on private or public property, it is important that you notify the person in charge of the property of your injury. If you don’t make them aware of your fall, they may later try to use that as evidence that your injuries came from another place.
3. Gather evidence
Evidence is always a critical part of any personal injury claim. Some things that may help your claim include:
- Photos of the accident scene, if possible
- Your clothing, which may have traces of anything that caused you to slip
- Your footwear, which may be important to show that you didn’t contribute to your own injuries
- The names and contact information of witnesses
- Your medical records
- A pain diary during your recovery
Accidents happen all the time. Find out how you can file a premises liability lawsuit against the party responsible if you’re hurt in a fall.