Slip and fall accidents can be more dangerous than you think. Current data shows that emergency room visits due to falls have surpassed nine million, and such accidents often result in serious injuries that require hospitalization. But the consequences don’t end there: the victim might have to stay away from work and pay high medical bills for proper recovery.
Even though all fall victims have a legal right to fair compensation, not all of them are attentive to their surroundings at the time of the fall, and therefore don’t gather much evidence. In turn, this lack of proof might invalidate their injury claim. In order to prove that a property owner is liable for your injury and win a slip and fall claim, there are a few important things you must do first.
Look Around And Take Photographs
The same way you want to prove the negligence from the other party, the defendant will do anything in their power to twist your version of events. It’s a tactic they’ll use to invalidate your personal injury claim and owe you as little as possible. That’s why you should take pictures of your surroundings before anything else—so you’ll have visible proof of the hazard.
Are there any uneven surfaces on the sidewalk? Any spills or puddles? Does the walkway show any of the previous or other unsafe conditions? Take all this into consideration when photographing. If for some reason you can’t take photographs, write it all down on your cellphone notes, narrating the events and describing the dangerous conditions that caused the fall.
Talk To Witnesses
If you were in a public place at the time of the accident, it’s likely that some people witnessed your fall and even offered to help you. In a place of business, your witnesses are customers.
Ask for the contact information of anyone who saw what happened: phone number, e-mail address, and even their home address, if possible. It’s also a good idea to ask them to tell you what they observed in detail. That’ll help you collect solid proof, as well as help your attorney to get in touch with the witnesses later on.
Get Medical Attention ASAP
Getting immediate medical treatment after your fall will not only help with faster healing, but it will support the evidence that you were injured at that time of day.
A doctor will be able to assess both external and internal injuries of a victim, their gravity, healing time, and necessary treatments, for instance. They’ll know how to answer questions like:
- How much time will you be off work?
- Were the injuries caused by a preexisting condition?
- Will you need physical therapy or any other treatments you should be compensated for?
Additionally, the doctor will have access to your medical records, which can be used as a confirmation of your claim. Ask your doctor if you can have copies of your records.
To avoid spending a fortune on medical bills, looking for the best catastrophic health insurance plans can save you a lot of money in the future. Health insurance can be adaptable to your needs, and searching for the right plan doesn’t have to be as stressful as it may seem. There are easy services that can help you organize insurance plans by the ones that will best tailor to your needs.
File An Incident Report
Regardless of the severity of your injury, you should fill out an incident report when the occurrence is still recent. Used for legal documentation, a report contains all the details about the event and is useful for the analysis of your case. It’s also necessary to keep similar accidents from happening again.
Get A Good Personal Injury Attorney
You can only do so much to prove your case on your own. The right thing to do is leave the rest to a good professional. If you’re unsure about a great lawyer’s credentials, see this personal injury lawyer in Orange County. An experienced fall accident attorney has worked with hundreds of slip and fall cases and will know just what to do for a fair recovery. Based on all the information you’ve already collected, they’ll help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
