As with any type of accident, the aftermath of a slip and fall can be filled with pain, anxiety, and fear. In an effort to help calm your nerves and provide some hope, we have put together a list of action items to complete following a slip and fall event. Please know that if you are having trouble getting to some items, you can always contact us for help.
1. Seek Medical Attention
Your health comes first after a slip and fall accident. Injury victims should contact emergency personnel, their primary care physician, or an urgent care clinic as soon as practically possible after a slip and fall. This even applies if you do not experience any symptoms or are not otherwise in pain or discomfort. Sometimes people get injured in an accident even without experiencing any physical symptoms of an injury.
2. Start Collecting Evidence
In order to prove that a property owner caused your slip and fall, you will need evidence to support your position. You can start collecting this evidence immediately after your slip and fall event. If you physically can, you should do the following while still at the accident scene:
- Take pictures and video of the area where you fell
- Take pictures of your injuries
- Collect the names and contact information of any possible witnesses that saw you fall
- If inclement weather played a role in your accident, take note of the day and time of your fall so that you can later retrieve weather reports
If your injuries prevent you from doing the above immediately after your accident, try to return to the injury scene as soon as you can to take pictures and videos.
3. File an Incident Report
Most businesses have incident reports that they use when a person is injured on their property. The report is often a generic type of document that gathers basic information about an accident. Make sure you ask for one of these and complete it. Completion normally requires an accident victim to check some boxes, fill in some blanks, and provide a summary of what happened.
An incident report is critical because it details your account of your accident immediately after it happened. It often is the first evidence that you can create shortly after your slip and fall. Take some time and make sure you include all the details of what took place.
4. Contact the Property Owner
The best way to try and recover compensation for your slip and fall injury is to file an injury claim with the property owner’s insurance company. Before you file a claim, though, you will need the name and contact information of the insurer. To get this information, write a letter to the owner of the property upon which you fell.
Keep the letter concise. Provide a quick summary of your accident and then request the name and contact information for the company’s insurer. Once you receive this information, write a letter to the insurer giving notice that you intend to file an injury claim. The insurer should then provide all the necessary information and requirements for filing a claim.
5. Contact a Skilled Personal Injury Attorney
Getting compensation for your injuries following a slip and fall accident is never an easy task. Gathering evidence to show that a property owner caused your injuries can grow difficult. Further, at times, there are issues with obtaining an insurer’s contact information. Even if you do get this information, insurance adjusters are trained in fighting claims and they may pose hardships in starting a claim.
Given this, you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney for help. A skilled lawyer can help you build evidence to support your case, file an injury claim on your behalf, and negotiate with the claims adjuster to help you receive payment for the losses you incurred.
Please know that Otorowski Morrow & Golden, PLLC has over 120 years of combined experience representing injured parties. The attorneys at our firm are tireless in their efforts and passionate in their representation. They also provide free initial consultations to all their potential clients. Do yourself a favor and contact them now for the quality legal assistance you deserve.