Have you suffered a slip and fall accident in Augusta, GA?

Perhaps you’ve filed an accident report already and are receiving medical treatment for your injuries. Have you considered contacting a personal injury attorney?

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), floors and flooring material contribute to 2 million injuries annually. The National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) reports that slips and falls are responsible for more than 1 million emergency room visits. Hip fractures are one of the most serious injuries sustained, which can lead to declining health and even death.

If you suffer the misfortune of a slip and fall, there are some immediate actions that you should take that may help a resulting legal case. We’re going to explain why you need to get a quick medical assessment, file a report, and gather evidence. Read on!

Slip and Fall

If your slip and fall accident happened because of someone else’s negligence, you may be owed compensation. If you were on their property and you hurt yourself, your injuries may be their fault. Because of this, any medical costs or lost income that stem from the accident may be recovered by a personal injury lawyer.

A slip and fall injury can result in fractured bones or breaks. The arms and hip are particularly susceptible to sustaining trauma.

Head injuries and spinal damage are some of the more serious complications of a slip and fall accident. Often these can result in debilitating long-term effects and an even greater loss of earnings.

Insurance companies often attempt to downplay or project the blame onto the victim. You deserve compensation for the hardship and injuries that you have sustained through no fault of your own. To ensure you maintain full entitlement for the damages you seek, you must not do or say anything that may hurt your claim.

Quick and decisive action is needed, and you should document everything as best you can.

Medical Assessment

After a slip and fall accident, don’t delay in getting your body assessed for injury. Sometimes, an injury may not be immediately obvious, especially during the initial embarrassment of a fall.

Although most symptoms do appear quickly, the severity is still unknown until you get checked out. It could be hours or days until all symptoms are fully present.

If you experience a headache, nausea, dizziness, or confusion, you might have a concussion. Head injuries need to be examined at the emergency department, especially if your symptoms are getting worse.

In addition to keeping you safe, seeking treatment helps document your legal case. It takes a medical professional to verify your claims. If you put distance between the accident and a doctor’s exam, you could cast doubt that your injury is linked to the accident.

Defense arguments often try to contradict your claim, so the more clear the proof you have, the better. Obtain and keep all paperwork relating to the slip and fall and subsequent costs. In addition to medical costs, save receipts for any other costs you incur due to your injuries.

You must keep up with any scheduled follow-up appointments. Also, follow all medical directives and prescribed treatments. If you don’t do this and miss physical therapy appointments, for example, you may undermine your claim.

File a Report

Reporting the slip and fall accident ASAP is essential. Look for the person of the highest seniority relating to the property where your accident occurred. This could be the landlord of the private property or the owner of the business.

You may be unable to report the details of the accident immediately because you are seeking emergency medical attention. If you are unable to personally call to report the accident, have a friend or relative inform them on your behalf.

You should request a copy of the accident report before leaving the scene of the slip and fall. If this is not possible, ask for a copy before being discharged from the hospital. It doesn’t matter if the report is written by the police, a manager, or an employee, you need a copy for your records.

If you don’t report a slip and fall accident on the same day (or at least the day after), your claim is less strong. This could result in a lesser award of damages, if at all, so you’ll need a slip and fall attorney.

Because you are under no legal obligation to sign a report drafted by the property owner, you shouldn’t. You also shouldn’t have any part in completing an accident form yourself. Inaccuracies in a report by the property owner could affect your case at a later date if you signed it.

Gather Evidence

Photographs are persuasive evidence and help illustrate what happened. Take as many pictures of the scene and your injuries as you can, as you may not know exactly what you will need later as evidence.

If you are too injured, ask someone else if they would mind taking photos of the scene and emailing them to you.

If anyone comes forward and says that they were a witness, ask for their contact details. You can also politely ask if they would mind verifying your recollection of events.

You should have minimal contact with anyone connected to the slip and fall accident. This applies to witnesses in addition to employees of the property owner.

After you file a report on the slip and fall accident, it’s best to say as little as possible, especially concerning the fall. A casual chat can be used as testimony, and a statement made in jest could be used against you.

Have You Had a Slip and Fall Accident?

We’ve shown that a slip and fall accident requires prompt actions to strengthen the case of a subsequent claim. Don’t let a property owner cheat you out of the compensation you rightfully deserve!

If you need a slip and fall lawyer in Augusta, GA, we can help. We are a personal injury law firm, and we specialize in slip and fall cases. We understand our client’s needs, and we counsel with courage.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation.