Slip and Fall Injuries: Seven Important Steps to Take

A slip-and-fall accident may be a highlight of your favourite knockabout comedy, but it is a lot more than a joke in real life. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), floors and flooring materials contribute directly to more than 2 million fall injuries each year.

These injuries can lead to severe outcomes such as the victim’s inability to work, long-term medical issues, and even death. Looking at the severity of slip and fall injuries, understanding what to do in a given situation matters a lot.

Here are some of the most important steps to take after sustaining a slip and fall injury.

Seek Medical Attention

The first thing you must do after sustaining a slip and fall injury is to seek professional medical attention, even if you do not have any apparent injuries. Whether due to adrenaline rush or embarrassment, you may not feel any pain. However, it does not mean that you must not have sustained any injury.

Concussions, internal injuries, and soft tissue damage are just some of the injuries that may not show on the surface but cause significant problems if they remain unchecked. Even if there are no injuries, it is better to be safe than sorry.

In addition, getting medical attention from a professional after a slip and fall injury can also document the extent of your injury. This documentation can play a crucial role in helping you secure the well-deserved compensation for your loss.

Create an Official Record

After you have received the much-needed medical attention, the next important thing to do is to create an official record of the event. Take some time to revisit the location and get in touch with the building owner or manager where the incident occurred.

Take your time to have a conversation with the relevant person and tell them about the incident. Make sure that you do not use a harsh tone. Instead, have a civil conversation with them to inform them about the issue. Make sure that you also request a written report to be filled out and shared with you.

This step ensures that the property owner is aware of the situation and can take the needed steps to prevent any accidents in the future. This step can also play a crucial role in helping you seek compensation for your injuries.

Document Extensively

When it comes to finding compensation for your pain, suffering, and injuries, no document should be considered unnecessary. You must do everything in your power to create extensive documentation to find compensation for your losses.

You can start by taking detailed pictures of the site where you slipped. Try to ensure that the hazard causing the accident is clearly visible in the pictures. Common hazards can include factors such as wet floors, uneven surfaces, and ineffective light.

Every detail in your documentation can serve as valuable evidence. It can be very helpful if you need to pursue a claim later. You can let your slip-and-fall lawyer deduce which piece of evidence serves you right while seeking compensation for your losses.

Consult an Attorney

Car accident lawyers and slip-and-fall attorneys help several people find guidance regarding their rights, especially when a third party is at fault. If you are considering legal action, you should not consider taking this step without an expert’s guidance.

The legal world can be hard to navigate, and even the most minor mistakes can draw you away from your rightful compensation. Therefore, you must consider scheduling a consultation with a personal injury lawyer who specializes in slip and fall cases.

If the chances of finding your rightful compensation look good, you can hire an attorney with good reviews and several years of experience. Remember that they hold the key to help you make up for your losses. Since it’s a big step, there is no harm in taking your time to make a decision.

Keep a Track

Whether you are Suing for Damages in the Wrongful Death of your loved one or seeking compensation for your loss after a slip and fall accident, one thing that you must keep in mind is that journaling is your best friend. No detail is too much to add when you are keeping track of your expenses and suffering.

If you are considering suing for your loss, make sure that you keep track of everything. You must maintain detailed records of all expenses, such as loss of wage, medical expenses, and transportation expenses. These records are essential for calculating damages and seeking compensation.

Get Witness Information

If you sustain a slip and fall injury in a crowded space such as a parking lot or a commercial building, people must likely be around you at the time of the accident. Instead of instantly getting up and running away from the situation, gather yourself and ask them for their contact information and names.

Witnesses can include bystanders, employees, or other individuals who were present at the scene. These witnesses have a bigger role to play in helping you make up for your financial suffering and physical pain.

Having witness testimonies with yourself can be very helpful, especially if you are considering pursuing legal action. These witnesses can corroborate your account of the incident and play a significant role in strengthening your claim.

Care for the Evidence

Another important thing you can do to boost your chances of finding the right compensation for your losses after a slip and fall injury is to preserve your evidence. Your clothes and shoes are the most important pieces of evidence that you must care for. You can place them in a polyethene bag as soon as you reach home. 

Make sure that you keep the shoes and clothing you were wearing at the time of the fall in their current condition. They can contain crucial evidence, such as materials from the scene of the fall. Seemingly insignificant, you can rely on this bit of evidence to help you find the right compensation for your loss.