Slip & Fall Accidents

How to Handle Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents are some of the most common injuries today. They can happen at virtually any time at any place. Every year, more than a million people are admitted to the emergency room for slip and fall accidents and injuries from these accidents can lead to serious injuries.

Slip and fall accidents can happen at any time but are mostly from things like slippery or wet floors, uneven tiles, broken or cracked sidewalks, loose carpeting, debris, broken railing, and poor lighting.

The most alarming thing about these slip and fall accidents is how unexpected they tend to be. This is why it is important to be prepared just in case this type of unexpected accident happens to you or someone you know. Should you find yourself a victim of a slip and fall accident, this is the best way to handle this accident and make sure that you file the claim you need to get the care (and the compensation) you deserve.

These are the most important things you need to do.

Document The Scene of Your Fall

Right away when you fall, you may feel overwhelmed, hurt or scared, but it is important that you take the time to document the scene surrounding your fall. Take as many pictures as you can so you can to use them as legal evidence should you need it in the future.

Take photos of the place you fell, of the hazard itself of the surrounding area, and take multiple angles of photos. If you end up filing a lawsuit, you will be happy you have this.

Get Medical Attention Right Away

If you have slipped and fallen, then you need to go to the hospital, even if you don’t feel injured right away. Many times, it takes a day or two to feel the injuries from a fall or whiplash injury, or you may have internal injuries that you weren’t even aware of.

Your health and well-being are of the utmost importance. However, going to a hospital right away can also be valuable evidence, later on, should you decide to file a lawsuit.

Visiting a hospital will show that you received medical treatment and detail what type of medical treatment you received after your fall. This is essential for showing the correlation between the fall and the injuries you sustained.

Afterward, you may need to see a medical professional for a consultation or physical therapy for your slip-and-fall injuries.

If you have a personal injury case, it’s important to find the right personal injury doctors who accept medical liens as payment for your accident-related bills. All doctors listed on Injured Call Today accept liens for medical treatment on a personal injury case.

Know Your Legal Options

The first thing you need to do after a fall is to get medical care and to make sure that you are taken care of. Then it is time to look into your potential legal options. If you fell, for no fault of your own, and were injured then litigation may be your best bet. So, if an establishment has wet floors and no sign and you slip and fall, it isn’t your fault. After all, if you didn’t cause your accident, you shouldn’t have to pay for all of the medical costs, time off work and other expenses you incur.

While taking care of yourself first is important, you don’t want to wait too long to start the legal process. Look into your options as soon as you are able to see if you may have a case on your hands.

Hire an Attorney

If you think you have a case, you can hire a New York personal injury lawyer. Typically, you will want to start with a consultation, where the attorney will advise you on whether or not they think you have a case on your hands. Make sure to hire someone with experience in handling slip and fall cases. Make sure you are staying available to your attorney. They will need a lot of information from you, and you will need to keep the lines of communication as open as possible.

Be Ready For Some Scrutiny

Because slip and fall accidents are so common, there are many people who try to take advantage of the system and abuse these claims so make sure you are aware that the other counsel may be trying to get your case thrown out. Don’t be surprised if they decide to claim that you had a pre-existing condition or that your injury is not as severe as you are stating. Just make sure you are talking with your attorney and continuing to get the medical care that you need and that you aren’t engaging in any compromising activity that may make it look like your injury is not as severe as it is.

Remember these action steps if you ever find yourself the victim of a slip and fall accident. You may be entitled to compensation to help cover your losses so you can get on the road to recovery and back to life as normal as quickly as possible after your accident.

Take the first step and click here to find top doctors near you that specialize in treating injuries resulting from slip and fall accidents and accept medical liens.