It’s relatively common for people to walk along and inadvertently stumble and trip when not paying attention. Most are no worse for wear and brush it off as an embarrassing moment.
A slip and fall accident is something quite different. These occur typically as the result of another person’s negligence and can cause serious and lingering issues for the victim. Read here for tips on preventing trips and falls.
The primary reason for injuries in these incidents is poor maintenance practices whether it’s a home or business, creating fall risks for those visiting the property. This can include improper snow and ice removal, unsafe stairwells, or uneven walkways.
An injury resulting from a slip and fall is a type of personal injury. Proving liability for these cases can be tricky. A skilled attorney must show that the individual responsible for the property where the injured party fell knew there was danger and did nothing to address it.
What To Do If You’ve Been Injured in a Fall
The quality legal team with Friedman Injury Law will determine whether you’re entitled to compensation for your slip and fall injuries by assessing the claim.
Compensation varies based on injury severity and the pain and suffering associated with the fall.
The personal injury attorney will factor in incurred costs from medical expenses and lost income due to the injury.
They will then consider the amount of pain and suffering you’ve endured from the fall. A qualified lawyer helps by negotiating with the insurance carriers.
These cases involve showing there was fault. The more thorough you are as the injured party following the incident, the easier it will be for your attorney to prove fault. Consider following these steps after a slip and fall so that your attorney can use the details on your behalf.
Call for emergency services
While it can be somewhat embarrassing to slip and fall, you want to call for emergency services immediately.
These types of injuries can be more severe than they might initially appear. Before moving around and possibly making an injury worse, it’s vital to have medical attention.
It’s also important that the incident be documented and by calling emergency services, this can be done more thoroughly.
It’s the way to connect your injury with the fall. Those who arrive on the scene, medics, police, fire personnel will do reports about the fall and the conditions at the time.
Figure out the cause of the fall
The priority is to get adequate medical attention; once this is received, then you can check out your surroundings. When looking around, the objective is to identify what caused you to fall.
The floor may have had puddled water that wasn’t cleaned up or perhaps the flooring surface was uneven. If you fell outdoors, ice or snow could have contributed to the incident.
If you pinpoint it, you also want to let your attorney know so they can notify the location of what caused the fall.
Witnesses to the fall
Once the insurance carriers get involved, they want to revert blame for the incident back to the injured party. It relieves the financial burden off them for paying compensation.
After the fall, you want to see if there’s anyone around you who saw what happened. These witnesses are integral in your attorney’s negotiations with the insurance carriers. It voids the situation of your word against theirs.
When you approach witnesses, get their contact details, including their names and phone numbers. It’s also a good idea to ask for a brief statement of what they saw, a possible corroboration of your facts.
Visit – Six Tips to Get Your Best Slip and Fall Injury Settlement – for tips on getting the best settlement for your slip and fall claim.
Document the scene
It may be difficult to take notes immediately following the incident, but it’s important to document the scene as soon as you’re able.
This will include detailing what the conditions were that led to the fall. Photos and video are incredibly useful.
You can either take some snaps or ask someone nearby to take the photos. These should be taken from several angles and directions to show the conditions. You want to take pictures of the whole scene and close up of what caused the incident.
Medical treatment
Medical care following a fall is critical regardless of whether you might feel fine. Symptoms can be delayed a few hours, possibly a few days for some conditions. A medical professional will know what to look for.
It’s further important to follow all care instructions and take medications as ordered. You don’t want the insurance carrier to suggest you haven’t followed the plan of care. They can then say that the injury hasn’t healed because you weren’t following medical instructions.
These medical records will also become vital documentation for your attorney as they proceed with your case.
Personal injury attorney
The sooner a reputable and reliable personal injury attorney becomes involved with your claim the better.
The professional will start their own investigation immediately. They will want to speak with witnesses while the scene is fresh in the witnesses’ minds.
You want to refrain from talking to the insurance company before speaking to your lawyer. The attorney will negotiate on your behalf with these carriers to try to achieve a settlement. If a settlement is unattainable, they will file for a cout hearing.
Final Thought
There are many reasons to seek assistance from a personal injury attorney following a slip and fall incident. You may have questions about your options or the slip and fall laws in Las Vegas.
A qualified lawyer can answer these questions, explain your legal rights and help you make informed decisions for your distinct circumstances.
If you have severe injuries, your attorney will work to get the compensation you deserve and a fair and reasonable settlement still for less severe injuries by negotiating with the insurance carriers.
A stellar personal injury attorney strives to help their clients hold the responsible party accountable to prevent the possibility of future incidents like these from happening.
