Physical accidents and injuries are stressful situations to find oneself in, and often times we are unaware of how to take appropriate action immediately following an accident.
If you have suffered an injury through no fault of your own but because of someone else’s negligence, you should be aware that you are justly entitled to compensation for your injury.
The negligence could be on the part of an individual or a corporation. Maybe you fell on a slippery floor, or tripped on a broken sidewalk – whatever the case, it’s important to understand your rights so that you can take quick action to ensure you’ll be rightfully compensated for your loss of time and wages.
If you have been involved in a slip or fall accident, or you just like being prepared, we encourage you to keep reading so that you know what to expect in such a circumstance.
Slip, trip, and fall accidents categorize as personal injury accidents and occur when somebody slips, trips, or falls as a result of hazardous conditions on someone else’s property.
As with all accidents, slip and fall accidents can occur in many different ways. Naturally, some ways these accidents occur are more common than others. A slip, trip, or fall injury could occur due to bad weather conditions, a poor design, misplaced object, or a liquid spill. Frequently these accidents can happen when you’re leaving a building or walking on uneven surfaces or slippery sidewalks.
Just because you happen to slip and fall in a public location doesn’t necessarily mean that the property owner is at fault and responsible for compensating you for your injury. As with all personal injury cases, there are many variables that go into deciding who is at fault in your case.
You must have a personal injury lawyer prove that there were hazardous conditions or items in the area or on the surface where you suffered the accident. In addition to this, you must have a witness to prove that the property owner or manager was aware of the problem or potentially hazardous object and chose to turn a blind eye.
The fallout of a slip and fall accident can be complicated from a legal point of view. To make sure you are as prepared as possible for the upcoming legal process, be sure to do these three things immediately after an accident has occurred:
If you have been involved in a slip and fall accident, it is important to report the accident to the manager or owner of the establishment as soon as possible. It is not your duty to give them a detailed statement of the accident immediately though – you can inform them of the accident, but do not give them all the details until after you have spoken with a slip and fall lawyer.
Speaking to an attorney about all the details of the accident is always the best decision as they will be the one to help guide you to getting the compensation you deserve from such an accident.
After you have reported the accident to the manager of the establishment and personal injury lawyer, you need a detailed description of what happened and the circumstances that led up to the accident.
It is a good idea to record the details while the incident is still fresh on your mind – recording details is a necessity so that you can provide your slip and fall lawyer with the information they need to effectively assist you in the legal process.
Some things you should immediately write down include:
Additional information you might want to add to your testimony is the shoes and clothing you were wearing at the time (this will keep anyone from arguing that the fall was a result of your wardrobe).
Lastly, but most importantly, make sure you seek medical attention after your fall. Be sure to get examined and have your injury diagnosed as soon as possible. Having your injury diagnosed right away will increase the validity of your slip, trip, or fall case in the courtroom.
Waiting to seek medical care might cause a judge to rule that there isn’t enough correlation between your injuries and the accident, thus ending any chance of you receiving compensation for the accident.
Above all, don’t delay seeking medical treatment for your slip or fall injury!
If you have suffered a slip and fall injury, the time to take action is now. Don’t wait until the company or individual who is responsible for your injury has the upper hand, instead, contact a personal injury attorney as soon as an accident has occurred.
At Russell and Hill, PLLC, we don’t require upfront payment, so you don’t need to worry about mounting attorney fees sneaking up on you. Our payment comes from the contingency of your winning case; meaning, we earn our money as a percentage of the insurance payment you receive from the settlement of your case. This essentially means that your legal bill never affects your bank account.
If you’d like more information about our personal injury services for slip, trip and fall accidents in Lake Stevens, don’t hesitate to contact us and schedule a free consultation today.