Originally posted on https://sweetlaw.com/4-steps-to-take-after-a-slip-and-fall-accident/

A slip and fall accident, also known as a trip and fall, may result in a personal injury claim or lawsuit. If an accident occurred as a result of negligence, such as lack of maintenance, your claim or lawsuit may be against the owner of the establishment. If you or a loved one suffered injuries as a result of a slip and fall accident, it is important to make sure to remember these four steps to take after your accident.

Statistics and Causes of Falls

The National Floor Safety Institute states there are over 8 million emergency hospital visits are contributed to falls In addition, over 1 million visits attributed to slip and fall accidents specifically. Floor maintenance and flooring material also contribute directly to more than 2 million fall injuries each year.

Causes for slip and fall injuries include:

• Surface conditions such as uneven surfaces, recently mopped or waxed floors;
• Liquid, debris, or trash on floors;
• Ladders, stairs, no handrails present;
• Certain laborer occupations expose the probability of an incident;
• Shoe sole such heel or wedge type.

If a slip or trip occurs, it is important to observe the cause of the fall. However, if there was no apparent dangerous hazard or neglect, it may be difficult to prove a premise liability claim or lawsuit.

4 Steps to Take After a Slip and Fall Accident

Slip and fall cases is an area of personal injury law that can be difficult to prove. The actions you take following an accident may have an impact on the ability to recover for the damages and losses sustained. As a result, take these following four steps after your slip and fall accident to improve your chances of compensation.

1. Take Pictures

After a fall, there may be many people surrounding you to come to help. In addition, it may feel chaotic immediately after your accident. However, you much quickly observe the dangerous conditions around you and take pictures. Take pictures from a few feet away from the area to obtain different angles. Without photos of the area that caused the fall, it will become difficult for an attorney to prove liability. For instance, this is especially true if the attorney cannot prove what caused the fall.

2. Report the Accident

Immediately after a fall, report the accident to the owner or responsible party. This could be the landlord, store manager, homeowner, or the person in charge of the property where the accident occurred. In addition, obtain a copy of the incident report. This can confirm your contact information, reason for the fall, and the area where the incident took place. In addition, gather full contact information of any witnesses who saw the fall. Insurance company representatives tend to question the validity of an accident by questioning witnesses.

3. Get Medical Treatment

The mistake that many are led to believe is that the responsible party will refer an injured victim to a doctor. That is not the case. Immediately after your accident, go see your personal physician, urgent care, or emergency room. Even if you do not feel pain right away, you may have a delay in injuries. In addition, delays in medical treatment will cause the insurance company to argue and question your claim. They may believe that your injuries are not a result of the fall or that the injuries are not as serious.

There is no state law that sets a time limit to see a doctor after a slip and fall accident. However, it is recommended to seek treatment immediately, within 48 hours or sooner. As a result, inform the doctor that the injuries are as a result of the recent fall. In addition, mention all the symptoms that you are experiencing, no matter how minor they could be.

If the doctor recommends follow up treatments, make sure you don’t miss those appointments. As a result, the insurance company will assume that your not seriously injured or that you have healed. In addition, you cannot prove medical injuries without medical records and bills. Failure to treat or listen to doctors advice will have an affect on your personal injury case. As a result, you may not receive the compensation you deserve.

4. Consult with a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer

Personal injury cases are complex. As a result, insurance companies and their agents look for ways to not compensate you or pay the full amount on your claim. Do not provide a recorded statement to the premise owner or any insurance company against you. It may sound like the claims representative is attempting to assist you. However, they will use your statement to later discredit the accident. Only give a statement to your lawyer or insurance company.

Hiring an experienced attorney to represent you in your personal injury claim or lawsuit, can strengthen your chances in obtaining the maximum compensation or award for the injuries and losses sustained after a fall. The lawyer will send letters of preservation of evidence and use the pictures of the dangerous condition, along with medical reports and bills, to prove that the damages sustained were from a direct result of the premises neglect.

Hire A Slip and Fall Lawyer

An injury resulting from a slip, trip, or fall can leave you with unexpected physical, monetary, and emotional damages. This includes your pain and suffering. For over 40 years, the attorneys at Sweet Lawyers have worked tirelessly to recover justice and compensation for their clients. Do not handle your case alone. Above all, we are here to help. Call to speak with one of the personal injury attorneys today for a free case evaluation at (800) 674-7854.