There are many situations in life where you will slip and fall, and in most of those instances, it will simply be an accident that you can hopefully walk away from with nothing more than a little embarrassment. If the fall is the result of the action, or inaction, of another party, however, you may have a lawsuit. Unfortunately, it can be difficult for the average person to determine whether or not they have a good legal case. With this in mind, you should always take the following steps to protect your legal rights.
1. Get Medical Attention
The very first thing you should do is seek out medical attention. If you are seriously injured, have an ambulance contacted to bring you to the hospital. Seeing a medical professional is the only way to fully understand the impact of your injuries. Additionally, the information provided by the doctor will be useful in determining whether you have a legal case that is worth pursuing.
2. Document the Event
As soon as you are physically able, start documenting the event as clearly as you can. Write down or voice record your memory of what led up to the fall, what caused it, and what you did after it was over. If possible, return to the location where it happened (or have a friend go if you are in the hospital) and take pictures of the area. Make sure to get images of any ice, wet floors, or other things that may have contributed to the slip.
3. Report to the Property Owner
You are obligated to report the incident to the property owner as soon as you are safely able. This will not only help ensure they can fix the problem so it doesn’t happen to anyone else, but will also show any potential judge that you did what you could to resolve the problem and protect others in the area. If the property owner is willing, get an incident report from them proving that you let them know.
4. Keep It to Yourself
Tell as few people as possible, and certainly don’t post about the event on social media. The more you talk or post about the event, the easier it will be for the opposing counsel to poke holes in your story. Even when being completely honest about what happened, they could try to twist your comments or posts to appear contradictory, which is why it is so important to just keep the event to yourself.
5. Seek Legal Counsel
While this one is listed last, it should actually be done as soon as you are able. Contacting an attorney is the best way to get personalized advice that will help you to know what to do next. Contact Carla D. Aikens and we can schedule a free consultation, or even meet with you in the hospital, to help ensure you have the strongest case possible.
Carla D. Aikens, P.L.C.
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