When you are injured on someone else's property as a result of the negligence of the property owner, you may be entitled to compensation to help you pay for things like medical costs, lost wages, and even the pain and suffering that results from your injuries. However, personal injury cases such as this can be incredibly complex, and there are steps you must take following the accident in order to preserve your right to appropriate compensation.
When a slip and fall occurs, be sure to follow these five key steps, and do not hesitate to contact The Tyra Law Firm right away.
1) Determine the cause of the accident
There is a practically endless list of potential causes of a slip and fall accident. Liquid on a tile floor, loose carpet, and poor lighting can all lead to serious injuries. If you are injured, be sure to determine the exact cause of your incident. Simply falling down on someone else's property is not going to be enough for a lawsuit. There must be some notable cause which could and should have been remedied by the property owner in a manner that would have prevented your accident.
2) Inform the property owner or other authority figure on site
If you are injured in a slip and fall accident, and you simply leave the scene without telling anyone—with the exception of leaving to receive time-sensitive emergency medical treatment—and you later attempt to bring a lawsuit, it is unlikely that your claim will be taken seriously. Most courts will assume that if the accident was not serious enough to inform the property owner or a manager on site, then it is not serious enough to warrant compensation.
3) Take photos
The importance of effective documentation and clear evidence of the cause of your accident cannot be overstated. Photographs can go a long way towards proving a property owner's negligence in a slip and fall incident. You can never have too many photographs of the scene of your accident.
3) Gather witness information
If there were any witnesses to your accident, be sure to get their contact information. Their testimony will likely be vital to any lawsuit you bring against the property owner. In some cases, witnesses can still be helpful even if they did not see the actual incident occur. They could potentially testify as to the conditions that led to your accident, adding more weight to your own explanation of the events.
4) Document everything
As soon as possible after your accident, write down a detailed accounting of the events leading up to the accident, the accident itself, and the events immediately following the accident. Include names, places, dates, times, etc. Use as much detail as you can. The longer you wait to do this, the fuzzier important details could become, which could potentially discredit you and ruin your claim. Additionally, be sure to document the aftereffects of your accident, including how your injuries are impacting your day-to-day life, any medical treatment you receive, anything doctors tell you, monetary costs of treatment and other consequences of the accident, and anything else you believe could be relevant to your case.
5) Seek appropriate medical treatment
A failure to seek appropriate medical treatment following your slip and fall accident will quickly invalidate your claim. Get emergency treatment at the time of the incident if necessary, and continue to follow up with relevant medical professionals afterwards for as long as you need to effectively recover. As previously mentioned, be sure to maintain extensive notes on all your interactions with medical service providers.
If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident on someone else's property, please contact The Tyra Law Firm right away to set up a consultation where we can analyze your claim and advise you on the best course of action to help you receive the compensation you deserve.
