While they may not sound that serious, slip and fall accidents can result in serious injuries that may require long-term treatment and other costly expenses. To make matters worse, slip and fall injuries can occur almost anywhere at any time. It’s important to understand what you should do after a slip and fall accident in order to help your claim for compensation. Here’s what you should know.
1. Seek Immediate Medical Attention
When you’ve suffered a slip and fall, it’s extremely important that you seek medical attention right away. You may feel just fine, but that doesn’t mean something isn’t wrong. Often times internal injuries can remain unresolved, as symptoms may take days or even weeks before making themselves known. Even if nothing is majorly wrong, seeking medical attention can be beneficial as it helps to provide evidence by documenting any symptoms, which can help to establish your case should you decide to pursue a personal injury claim.
2. Check Out the Scene
A variety of things can cause a slip-and-fall accident. That’s why it’s a good idea to look at the scene of the accident to see if you notice anything out of place. You’ll want to check for things such as uneven surfaces or liquid on the floor. This may help you to discover the cause of your accident and therefore help prove negligence.
3. Capture the Scene
While it’s important to check out the scene of the accident, it’s even more important to document it with hard evidence. The scene of the accident will not look the same once you leave it. People clean things up, pave over surfaces, wipe up liquids, and the like. Therefore, capturing the scene with photos and videos from a variety of angles can help to support your negligence claim. If you must leave the scene to seek medical attention, it’s a good idea to ask for help from someone you trust. They can capture everything using just a Smartphone.
4. Take Notes of Everything
Even after you take a mental note of the scene of the accident, it’s a good idea to document everything by putting it down on paper. Memory fades over time, so making notes of everything as soon as you can, it helps to preserve exactly what you saw, when you saw it. Be sure to write down witness information as well. You should note what each witness says about what they saw. If your slip and fall occurred in a store, you will want to notify the employees or manager if possible, explaining what transpired. Stores usually have accident report forms that you will want to file. This can serve as great evidence to support your claim later on.
5. Consult with a Qualified Slip and Fall Accident Attorney
Despite how nice an agent may seem, insurance companies are businesses that exist to make money. They can’t make as much money as they want if they pay you the maximum compensation for your injuries. Be aware that anything that you say to the insurance company can (and likely will) be used against you. For that reason, it’s best to consult with a qualified personal injury attorney who specializes in slip and fall accidents. They can help to negotiate with the insurance company.
The Attorneys at Rochelle McCullough Help Those in Dallas Who Have Been Injured in a Slip and Fall Accident
If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident, it can have a great impact on your life. When you are already dealing with recovering from your injuries, the last thing that you want to have to worry about is negotiating with insurance companies. Still, you should not have to pay the price for someone else’s carelessness. That’s why a knowledgeable and experienced Texas personal injury attorney can help.
The lawyers at Rochelle McCullough will help fight for your rights. To schedule a consultation, contact us today.