Slip, trip, or fall injuries can have significant impacts on your daily life and your ability to fulfill your responsibilities. Oftentimes, medical costs related to your injuries can quickly add up and become burdensome. Missed work and other impacts can take their toll on you and your family’s financial wellbeing.
If an injury claim cannot be resolved successfully with the help of your attorney, you may need to proceed to file a lawsuit against the parties responsible. In either scenario, you will need to provide evidence of the accident and your injury.
Where the Accident Happened
The location of a slip, trip or fall can be significant in the determination of who may be responsible for your injuries and liable to you for your damages. When an accident happens it is important to take note of the exact location of the incident and anything in the environment that may have contributed to the accident. In the immediate aftermath of an accident, this evidence is best collected by photograph or video.
Evidence to collect at the scene with a camera can include:
- The location of your fall
- The area around where your fall took place
- Any conditions in the surrounding environment that may have contributed to your fall
In addition to photographs and videos of the scene, it is also important to report the accident immediately to the property owner or individual in charge where the accident took place. You should take the name, position, and contact information of the individual to whom you have reported the accident. Request that the individual complete an accident report and provide you a copy of this report.
If your injuries are severe and require immediate medical attention, you may be unable to report the incident while at the scene. In this situation, you must contact the property or parties in charge as soon as you are stabilized and notify them that an accident has occurred.
Your Account of How the Accident Happened
Your perspective of how you were injured in a slip-and-fall accident is a valuable piece of evidence in your case. However, you should not rely solely on your memory for the recollection of these key facts and details. As soon as you are able to after an accident, you should take a moment to record your recollection of the events. You can videotape your account, take handwritten notes or create a digital log of your experience.
Keep in mind that injury claims and lawsuits can take time to reach a satisfactory resolution. It may be weeks or months before you are asked to recall the details of your accident and the aftermath. To prevent the inadvertent loss of key details, it is best to keep a record of how the accident occurred and the aftermath of the accident to benefit you and your case.
Information that should be part of your record can include:
- The date and time of the slip, trip, or fall accident
- How the accident occurred
- Your personal experience at the scene of the accident
- Your experience of the recovery of your injuries
- Any witnesses that may have been present at the time of the accident and their contact information
- Any statements made to you by at-fault parties or their representatives
Evidence of the Injuries You Suffered from the Accident
The extent and severity of your injuries as well as the impact of those injuries on your day-to-day life can have a significant influence on the amount of compensation available to you after a slip-and-fall. In order to seek the compensation you may be entitled to, you must provide evidence of the injuries and the effects of those injuries on your functions, abilities, and daily life. Beyond just the visible injuries you have suffered at the scene of the accident, you must also gather records and information on the recovery and treatment of those injuries.
Examples of evidence of your injuries that could be beneficial to your case include:
- Photographs of your injuries in various stages of recovery
- Medical records of your injuries and treatment plan
- Personal notes on the pain and suffering related to your injuries and recovery
- Employment records that show missed work, reduced hours, or changes to work duties after an injury
- Impacts of your injuries on other aspects of your life including hobbies or family responsibilities
Contact a Slip-and-Fall Attorney to Discuss Your Case
If you are unexpectedly injured in a slip-and-fall accident, you should seek the guidance of an attorney that can help you navigate your injury claim and potential lawsuit against the parties responsible. Injuries caused by the negligence of another can wreak havoc on your life and your finances. The law allows for victims of a negligent slip-and-fall to seek compensation for the damages you have suffered against the parties liable to you.
Contact a slip-and-fall lawyer for an evaluation of your case and to discuss the legal options available to you.
