Important Steps to take after a Slip & Fall
Slip & Fall accidents are more common than you may think. Perhaps you slipped and fell on some water at your local grocery store, or tripped on a broken sidewalk, or your elderly father fell at a nursing home. A slip and fall can arise from numerous conditions such as: torn or level changes in flooring, poor lighting, unsafe stairs, unexpected drops, wet floors, broken or cracked public sidewalks, or can be weather related (snow, ice, rain, etc.)
Unfortunately slip and fall accidents happen every day and can very well cause serious injury to yourself or to someone you love. What should you do after you or a loved one is injured in a slip-and-fall accident? Here are some important steps to take:
Seek Medical Attention
- it is important that you take care of yourself and your injuries. It is always better to be proactive and get examined by a medical provider. Common injuries include head (traumatic brain injury), hip fractures, back injury, shoulder injuries, and sprains/fractures. It will also result in crucial documentation that your injuries are related to your fall.
Witness Information
- If there was anyone to witness the fall, please make sure you get their contact information such as their name, phone number, mailing address. Even those who may have been there at the time to help you up or talked to you after the fall. Also, look around for any cameras that may have been nearby.
Take Photos
- Photos are very important in a slip and fall case. You should take photos of where you fell, what you fell on, surroundings of the fall, photos of your visible injuries, photos of employees cleaning up spill, and take a photo of the incident report.
Incident Report
- Make sure you report the accident to a manager or employee as soon as possible to report the incident. Also, make sure you complete an accident/incident report. (Get a copy or take a picture of it) Be sure to get contact information of that manager and/or employee.
Take Notes
- After the fall, immediately jot down notes as to what happened. Be very specific and detail oriented on how it happened and what happened when you fell.
- Questions to ask yourself
- What did I fall on? (Water, oil, broken concrete, etc.)
- How did I fall? (Backward, forward, etc.)
- When I fell what did I hit? (head, left arm, etc.)
- What was hurting right after the fall? (Back, neck, etc.)
- Any caution signs (wet floor, etc.)
- What kind of shoes did I have on?
Contact an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
If you have been injured in a slip, trip, or fall, you could be eligible to collect compensation or help pay for certain expenses such as:medical costs, lost wages, future loss of earnings, disfigurement, pain and suffering, and wrongful death. The Illinois personal injury attorneys at Sam C. Mitchell & Associates have had multiple years of experience and knowledge in handling slip and fall and other premises cases. If you or someone you love has suffered from a slip and fall, call our Southern Illinois premises liability lawyers at 618-932-2772 or fill out our online form.