Most people will slip and fall at some point in their life. However, not every person will be able to get up and have only a tinge of embarrassment to walk off. Some people will suffer from mild to severe injuries that may require medical care. It is possible that the accident wasn’t even their fault, but now they have to deal with physical pain and other losses as a result. Because a trip or slip and fall can happen to anyone, any time, and at any location, it is important to know what to do following the accident to protect your best interests.
Is it necessary that I get medical care? What if I don’t have any pain?
Even if you don’t have any pain immediately after the slip and fall accident it is possible that your body sustained injury. You may not experience any symptoms until the next day or two, as the body tells you that something is wrong. Seeing a doctor ensures that your injuries are properly documented and can be used as a vital piece of evidence if you choose to seek financial compensation for your losses.
Do I have to file a report with the property I slipped and fell at?
Yes, as part of handling the situation, you must notify the appropriate parties about your slip and fall accident. If you pursue a claim against the offending party but there is no record of the incident occurring on their end, it can hurt your claim. For example, if you slipped at a retail store and didn’t tell the staff and file a report, then they can claim the incident never happened since you didn’t speak up that day. When filing a report with the property owner or manager, ask for a copy so you can share this with the attorney helping your case.
What is something people forget but that can be impactful in a slip and fall case?
The clothes you were wearing at the time of the accident can be very influential to your slip and fall lawsuit if you so wish to take legal action. Your clothes may be assessed by a professional examiner as a relevant piece of evidence, as articles of clothing sometimes show signs that an injury was sustained. For instance, if you were wearing jeans at the time of your slip and fall and had caught your pants on a broken corner of a shelf, the tear in your jeans at that precise location can be used to support your claim.
What if the property owner or their insurance company contacts me?
The property owner or a representative from their insurance company may reach out to you for a statement about what happened. Of course, you may have already submitted a written report to them, so they probably know the details of what happened, but they may be trying to get you to say something that contradicts your claims so that they can weaken your side of the story.
If you or someone you know has been in a slip and fall accident, contact a slip and fall law firm, like a Washington DC slip and fall law firm, today.
Thanks to Cohen & Cohen, P.C. for their insight into slip and fall accidents.
