When you slip and fall on someone's property, and your accident was caused by the occupant's negligence, you have the right to sue for damages. Unfortunately, slip-and-fall cases aren't always easy to prove. To win your case, you need to prove that the accident occurred on the property in question; the person occupying the property was negligent and that negligence caused the accident; the accident was not your fault; and you had losses that resulted from the accident.
Call the Authorities
Even if you aren't injured badly enough to warrant the need of emergency medical services, you should still call the authorities after your accident so that an official police statement is on record. The cops that arrive on scene will be able to document the condition of the accident scene, as well as any actions or neglect that led to the accident taking place.
Seek Medical Treatment Immediately
If you're injured in an accident, you need to seek immediate medical treatment. You don't have to seek emergency medical treatment if it isn't needed, but you should go to the doctor for a thorough checkup as soon as possible. This gives you documentation that states exactly how you were injured, what treatment was given, and whether further medical treatment is needed for you to recover. If there is a chance that you need additional or ongoing medical treatment, your lawyer needs to know the type of treatment needed and the potential recovery time. This way, you don't accidentally accept a settlement offer that doesn't figure in your future medical needs.
Take Dated Photographs
To show the court the condition of the property at the time of the accident, take dated pictures of the accident scene if possible. If your injuries are so severe that you can't go to the accident scene to take pictures, have a friend or family member take the photos for you. In addition to photographing the scene of the accident, you should take pictures of your injuries before they begin to heal.
Collect Contact Information From Witnesses
If there were witnesses to your accident, it's important to collect their contact information. At the very least, you should collect a name and phone number for each witness. However, you shouldn't talk to the witnesses about anything else. You don't want to accidentally say something that implies fault or could ruin your case. If you were injured too badly to speak to witnesses, you can try to obtain their contact information at a later date by requesting a copy of the police report -- if one was filed.
The fact is, without documentation a slip-and-fall lawsuit is basically your word against the word of the person occupying the property where the accident occurred. So, if you're injured in an accident, take the time to collect all of the information needed for a personal injury lawsuit just in case you need to file suit in the near future.
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