Slip and fall accidents can happen at any time. This can cause injuries that can range from minor cuts to broken bones. If someone’s negligence or carelessness caused these accidents, you might be able to file for a personal injury claim.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Personal injury claims fall under the law of tort, which allows you to file a legal claim and seek compensation for damages suffered. With that said, here are the steps you should follow if you suffer from a slip and fall accident.
Seek Medical Treatment
The first step you should take after a slip and fall accident is to seek medical attention. Even if you don’t feel any pain after the accident, it’d still be a good idea to visit a doctor. A healthcare professional will examine and diagnose you if necessary.
Seeking medical treatment is vital because you might be internally injured but exhibit no symptoms, which can affect your health in the future. Besides, after your examination, a doctor will write a report that can act as evidence when filing your claim. So, seeking medical attention can help strengthen your case, too.
Contact A Personal Injury Lawyer
Another critical step to follow after you’ve slipped and fallen is to contact a personal injury lawyer. A lawyer is a qualified and experienced person on matters to do with personal injury cases.
There are many benefits when you work with a personal injury lawyer. For instance, they can advise you about your legal rights to ensure you get the right compensation. In addition, they can inform you about the legal timelines surrounding your case. This is important because each state has a specific timeline within which you can report your case. Failure to report a claim within the stipulated timeline can render your case null and void.
Also, a personal injury lawyer will be your companion during your painful journey. For instance, they’ll be the ones representing you in the court of justice, giving you ample time to recuperate. So, if you’re involved in a slip and fall accident and want to work with a lawyer, you can find more here.
Take Photos
Taking photos allows you to build a solid personal injury case. So, after the accident, you need to take pictures of the venue and areas surrounding the scene. This helps all the people involved in your case understand the nature of the accident or what caused it.
Apart from taking photos of where the accident took place, you also need to take pictures of the injured parts of your body. This acts as evidence to show that you were actually injured. Additionally, taking photos of the wounded parts is important because some cases might take too long to settle to the point that your injuries are now completely healed before you even get your compensation. Therefore, your photos will show how your injuries looked like immediately after the accident.
Find Witnesses
Another thing to do after a slip and fall accident is to find witnesses. Witnesses are people who were near you when the accident occurred, and they can provide additional evidence on your case.
So, immediately after you’ve slipped and fallen, look around and talk to people around you and ask them to be your witness. From there, you need to gather their contact information and present it to your lawyer. Taking witnesses’ contact details allows you to reach them in the future, which is important especially when you require them to provide evidence in the courtrooms.
Report The Incident
Reporting the incident is another critical step you must remember. Regardless of where the accident occurred, report the incident to the authorities within the premises. For instance, if you slipped and fallen in a store while working, you can report the matter to your supervisor, manager, or the building owner.
Reporting the case enables the responsible party to understand that you were injured due to their mistakes. It also allows them to start finding their lawyers and other experts to help them with the case.
Takeaway
Though slip and fall seem like a minor accident, it can have long-lasting effects on your health if not taken seriously. In addition, it can force you to stop working until you get well. Therefore, it makes sense to seek compensation to cater to the medical bills and the lost time. However, to get adequate compensation, you need to build a strong personal injury claim.