6 Important Steps to Take After Your Slip and Fall Accident

Slip and fall accidents can cause serious injuries, leading to expensive medical bills and lost wages from taking time off work while recovering.

If you have suffered a slip and fall injury on someone else’s property, there are important steps you need to take after the accident to protect your right to file a slip and fall claim against the at-fault party.

Contact our experienced New Jersey slip and fall attorneys for a free consultation to discuss your claim and find out if you may be entitled to pursue compensation from a negligent property owner.

Below, our personal injury attorneys in New Jersey review which steps you should take immediately after suffering a slip and fall accident:

1. Seek Medical Care

The first step you should take after any accident is to seek medical treatment from a health care provider as soon as possible.

Even if your slip and fall accident seems minor, you could have suffered injuries that have hidden or delayed symptoms.

It is important that you seek medical treatment immediately following an accident so that any injuries are diagnosed and treated promptly. This step also documents your injuries and links them to the slip and fall accident.

2. File a Report

Additionally, you should immediately report the slip and fall accident to the property’s owner or manager. He or she will file an accident report and document any injuries you suffered, as well as which hazards may have caused your slip and fall accident.

When making an accident report, stick to the facts of what you know occurred before and during the accident. This will help to establish that you suffered an injury because of a known hazard that existed on the property and may be used to prove the property owner is liable for your injury.

3. Collect Evidence

After the accident, try to collect any evidence that may help you show what happened and any factors that may have contributed to causing your slip and fall accident. This includes evidence such as:

Photos

You can use your cellphone or camera to capture photos of the following conditions that could have been a factor in your accident:

Video Footage

If your slip and fall accident occurred in a place of business, government office or the exterior of a property, there may have been a video camera that filmed your accident.

You should consider contacting the property owner or business manager to ask if the area was covered by video surveillance and request a copy of the footage. This video evidence may be crucial in showing exactly how the accident happened and the condition of the property at the time of the accident.

4. Do Not Talk About the Accident

After the slip and fall accident, your lawyer may tell you not to discuss the incident or your injuries with your friends or family members while you are pursuing a claim against the property owner.

Additionally, you may be contacted by the property owner’s insurance company to discuss your claim. You must be careful not to give information that could be used against you. Stick to the facts, do not admit fault and do not speculate.

Do not provide an insurer with a recorded official statement unless your attorney has told you to do so. Your attorney may also handle communication with the insurance company and help you prepare a personal statement regarding the accident.

5. Follow Medical Advice

Once you have received medical attention, it is important that you follow the treatment plan prescribed by your doctor.

Following your doctor’s orders is very important for your recovery and will show that you have been proactively trying to improve your condition.

If you do not follow your treatment plan, it can have serious effects on your claim. An insurance company may allege your inattentiveness to your health after the accident have caused your injury to worsen or that your injuries are not as serious as your claim. This may cause an insurer to reduce your claim’s value.

6. Contact an Attorney

After your slip and fall accident, it may be in your best interest to contact an experienced attorney for assistance with your claim.

Your attorney will be able to review your claim to help you determine if your slip and fall accident may have been caused by the property owner’s negligence and whether you are entitled to compensation.

Additionally, your attorney will act as your advocate throughout the claims process and defend your rights against an uncooperative insurance company. He or she will handle all communications with the at-fault party’s insurers and attorneys to help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

Contact Lynch Law Firm, PC Now

Lynch Law Firm, PC’s New Jersey personal injury lawyers have decades of experience helping victims of slip and fall accidents.

We will investigate your case to determine which party could be held liable for your injury and will not hesitate to pursue maximum compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Our lawyers will provide you with a free, no obligation consultation to discuss which legal options may be available for you to pursue compensation after a slip and fall accident. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you are not charged upfront fees for our services. You only have to pay us if we recover compensation for you.

Call (800) 518-0508 today.