Founder and Managing Partner
Slip and fall accidents are no laughing matter. They can lead to serious injuries such as head trauma, broken or fractured bones, hip, knee and ankle injuries, muscle sprains and many others. These injuries lead to high medical expenses, lost income following days away from work, incapacitation or permanent disability.
If you or a loved one slipped and fell, it may be because someone was negligent and if that is the case, you can sue for compensation. Talk to a California slip and fall accident attorney.
What to do after a Slip and Fall Accident?
Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere: at the mall, at a grocery store, at a parking lot or even at school. What you do after a slip and fall can either make or break your case.
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Inspect the place where you fell
This should be the first thing you do. You fell for a reason. Is it because the floor surface was slippery, wet, uneven, greasy or oily? Is it because of the snow or rain? Was the carpet loose? Was there food spillage? Was the agent that caused your fall clearly visible? Perhaps the floor had just been waxed or polished. Did the owner place a sign warning about the slippery surface? How about the place itself, did it experience reasonable human traffic? Write down as much as you can remember about the place. It may all be very valuable in court.
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Take pictures of the scene
Use a camera or your phone to take pictures of the place. Capture the floor, specifically the exact place you fell. Make sure your pictures clearly identify any irregularities present, whether permanent or temporary. Do this as soon as possible. The last thing you want is the premise owner fixing the fault and you do not have evidence that it was present before.
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Collect witness information
This is crucial. Talk to witnesses at the scene and get their contact details. Ensure you have the contacts of witnesses who saw you slip and fall and witnesses who may have not seen you fall but can testify as to the state of the ground or floor at the time. Suppose there was a banana peel on the floor of a busy store and there is a witness who saw the peel lying there an hour ago, get her contacts. Perhaps the pavement of the parking lot was unevenly cemented and there’s a colleague of yours who complained about it to the premise owner before, get his contacts.
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Follow the appropriate procedure
Report the accident to the person in charge of the establishment. If it happened at a store, inform the store manager, if it happened at a restaurant, notify the restaurant manager. This will prevent anyone else from slipping and falling. If the owner or supervisor makes a comment that the fault existed before, write it down. If someone else heard the owner make the comment, get their contact information.
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Seek medical attention
Slip and falls can lead to serious injuries. Sometimes, these injuries do not manifest until days later. Get checked. Besides making sure all possible injuries are identified, the doctor’s report is good evidence of your injuries. Document all your medical expenses.
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Talk to a personal injury attorney
After getting treated, an attorney should be the first person you talk to. Do not talk to an insurer or attempt to settle before talking to your lawyer. You may say something that ends up hurting your case irreparably. This is exactly what the premises owner’s insurer or lawyer is hoping for. Contact the California personal injury attorneys at J&Y Law today for a free case evaluation.