What to Do After a Fall Down Injury
Slip and fall or falldown injuries can occur anywhere. From a fall on a friend or family member's residence to commercial properties. They can result from a fall on ice or a structural defect on the property.
In order to protect yourself, there are a number of things that you can do to help your case.
Check Yourself for Injuries
All falls should be taken seriously. Before moving, assess yourself for any visible signs of injury. And note the location of your pain or other issues. While your initial feeling is usually one of embarrassment for falling, keep your head about you and perform a damage assessment.
Identify the Cause of Your Fall and Take Photos
While your initial feeling is usually one of embarrassment for falling, keep your head about you and perform a damage assessment. Did you fall on water that was difficult to see? How deep and wide was it? Was the water or substance dirty or contain footprints through it? Where did the water come from? Did a slippery substance cause your fall? Was the lighting poor? Was there a structural issue, such as uneven pavement or floor that caused the fall? Was there any warnings in the area that you fell, such as orange cones, aisle barriers, taped off areas, etc that warned to stay out of the area? It is important to identify these things since they can make a difference in your case.
If you can move about the area safely where the fall occurred, start documenting the scene while the dangerous condition is still present by taking photos of anything you think might have caused you to fall, as well as the scene itself to show the absence of caution signs, barriers, tape or cones.
Call 911
If you are you should call for help immediately. Paramedics can evaluate you, determine how serious your injuries are, and transport you to the emergency room if necessary.
Your photos should also capture the absence of safety measures that could have prevented the slip and fall. For example, your photographs should show whether there were any caution signs in the vicinity of a slippery floor.
Speak to And Obtain Contact Information for Witnesses
Get the name, address and contact information for anyone who might have seen the incident and what they saw.
Identify the Location of Cameras
Look around to see if there are any surveillance cameras which may have recorded the incident.
Notify Someone in Authority of The Incident
Immediately report the incident to someone in possession and/or control of the premises, such as, the manager or employee of a commercial building or establishment. It is imperative to do this so that someone in charge of the premises can document the incident.
If you are asked to fill out a form regarding the incident, be careful about the information that you provide. Do not admit fault for the incident, just provide a brief summary of what happened.
Seek Medical Attention
Although your injuries may not seem to be serious at first, you should seek medical attention to document that you were injured and make sure that you are compliant with the doctor's recommendations regarding treatment.
Do Not Speak to The Insurance Company
Slip, trip and fall accidents are covered by insurance. A representative for the insurance company of the property owner may try to contact you. Do not provide them with any information. The insurance company is not your friend and any information that you provide them could work to your detriment.
Contact a personal injury attorney immediately and advise the insurance company that you are represented.
Contact a Slip, Trip and Fall Lawyer
These type of claims can be difficult to provide. Generally, property owners and occupants usually dispute liability for injuries people sustain on their premises, and insurance companies will do what they can to limit settlement amounts to victims.
An experienced slip, trip and fall lawyer can assess the strength of your case and protect your rights and interests by identifying who is liable, collecting the evidence to provide your case and maximize the amount of damages that you recover.