What should you do after a slip and fall accident to protect your legal rights and recover the compensation you are entitled to?
Slip and fall and trip and fall accidents are more common than one might think, and the resulting injuries can be catastrophic, and may even result in death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year over 1 million Americans suffer a slip and fall or trip and fall injury, and over 17,000 of these people die in the United States annually because of injuries sustained from these accidents. If you were injured through the fault or negligence of a property owner, you may be entitled to substantial compensation. Victims of slip and fall or trip and fall accidents should take immediate steps to protect their legal rights in order to recover proper compensation for their injuries.
5 important steps to take if you have been injured in a slip and fall or trip and fall accident
Seeking immediate medical care for your injuries is always a top priority. However, there are important additional steps to be taken in order to protect the accident victim’s legal rights.
- Get immediate medical attention. Medical treatment of the injuries sustained in the slip and fall or trip and fall accident is your top priority. Dial 911 and request that paramedics be dispatched to the scene. Get seen by a doctor right away at a hospital emergency room, urgent care, or other medical facility and give medical care providers a detailed description of all your injuries and symptoms. Seeking immediate medical treatment after the accident is central to your personal injury claim. Even if you initially do not think you have sustained serious injuries, they can become much more apparent in the hours and days after the accident has occurred.
- Take photos of the area. It’s important to take photos of any uneven or broken walkways that may have cause the accident to occur. Photos of broken or uneven stairs, loose carpeting, cracked, damaged or uneven walkways will help your attorney prove liability in your claim.
- Report the incident to the property owner without delay, or make sure the report is made as soon as possible after the accident occurred. Document the name of the person receiving your report, as well as the date and time. It is central to your claim.
- Contact an experienced slip and fall and trip and fall lawyer. Experienced slip and fall and trip and fall lawyers will conduct a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding your injuries and take steps to strengthen your claim, protect your legal rights, and position your case for the best outcome. Slip and fall and trip and fall accidents involve complex legal issues which are best suited for an experienced lawyer to handle. It is never a wise decision to attempt to represent yourself in any personal injury claim.
- Do not discuss the accident with anyone other than your lawyer. Refer all parties who contact you for information regarding the accident directly to your slip and fall or trip and fall lawyer. Insurance adjusters or representatives of the property owner may attempt to discuss the accident with you, but you should never discuss the accident with any property owner or insurance company, even your own insurance company. All inquiries regarding the accident should be referred directly to your slip and fall and trip and fall accident lawyer.
What are the most common injuries sustained in slip and fall or trip and fall accidents?
Many types of injuries can occur because of a slip and fall and trip and fall accidents. Here are some of the more common injuries:
- Broken Bones
- Spinal Injuries
- Neck Injuries
- Head Injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Hip fractures
- Concussion
- Knee, foot, and ankle injuries
- Hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries
- Serious cuts and lacerations
What types of damages and compensation can I recover after a slip and fall or trip and fall accident?
There are many different types of compensation which may be recovered by the victims of slip and fall and trip and fall accidents. Your slip and fall or trip and fall lawyer will know what types of compensation you may be entitled to and will advocate on your behalf to recover the full amount of your damages. Below is a list of commonly recovered damages in slip and fall and trip and fall cases:
- Compensation for current and future medical bills
- Compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress
- Compensation for disability or disfigurement
- Compensation for loss of earnings and earning capacity
- Compensation for current and future wage loss
- Compensation for loss of consortium for your spouse
- Compensation for damage to any personal property (eyeglasses, laptop, etc.)
We offer a free consultation to victims of Slip and Fall Accidents, and there are no legal fees unless we recover compensation for you
We understand that the fees associated with hiring attorneys are a leading cause of victims not seeking the legal representation they desperately need. That’s why we handle these cases on a contingency fee arrangement where our fee is contingent on your outcome. The client pays nothing upfront. The lawyer is only paid if they recover compensation for the client and then they are paid out of that compensation they recover for the client.
Our legal fees on your case are a percentage of the compensation we recover for you. If there is no compensation recovered for you, there is no fee, and you owe us nothing.
We want everyone who has been seriously injured in an accident to have access to top-notch legal counsel for their personal injury case. We have recovered tens of millions of dollars in compensation for countless accident victims we have helped over the years. Let us help you recover substantial compensation for your injury claim.
Contact us today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
The general information provided on this website should not be considered legal advice and does not constitute legal advice. For legal advice, you should consult directly with an attorney. If you contact us by telephone, email, letter, or by contact form submission through this website, please note that such communication does not create or constitute an attorney-client relationship. We cannot act as your attorney until we are hired as your attorney by a formal written agreement.