Premises Liability: Slip and Fall

Premises Liability & Slip and Fall Claims

A slip and fall or a trip and fall is one type of personal injury claim that falls under the premises liability umbrella. How do you know if you have a claim for personal injury after you experience a slip and fall or trip and fall?  Here are a few considerations to keep in mind before you meet with a personal injury attorney about your potential claim.

Your Fall

The first question you should ask yourself is what caused you to fall.  Did you slip on a substance left on the floor? Was there a defect with the flooring? Was there a warning sign advising you of potential danger?   All of these questions are important to take into consideration before pursuing a personal injury claim.  In order to be successful in pursuing a personal injury claim after a slip and fall, you must prove that the owner of the property and/or its employees and/or agents did something wrong. To that end, it is important to know how you fell and why you fell.  It is also important to consider whether the owner of the property knew about the condition on his or her property that caused the fall.  Falls can take place in a matter of seconds, but if you are able to determine what caused your fall and communicate that to your personal injury attorney, the more successful your claim may be.  If you are unable to determine what caused your fall, there may not be a claim for personal injury.  In order to hold someone accountable for your fall, the person in control of the property had to have known about the condition and done something to alleviate that condition in an effort to prevent your fall.

Report Your Fall

After your fall, make sure you report it.  It is important that there is documentation that the fall took place.  For example, if your fall takes place at a gas station, make sure you report your fall to an employee of the gas station.  Obtain the name and contact information of the person you report the fall to.  Should you pursue a personal injury claim following the fall, it is important to have the names of the individuals you spoke with as those individuals may leave the company between the time your fall occurred and the time you pursue a personal injury claim.  As most falls are not witnessed by others, it is important to report your fall and keep track of whom you speak to regarding the fall.

Seek Treatment

After your fall, it is important to evaluate your injuries.  Similar to being involved in a car accident, it is important to take note of every complaint of pain and seek treatment.  It is important that your injuries are reported to a medical professional as soon as possible.  The longer you delay treatment, the more likely it will negatively affect your personal injury claim.  Unlike a car accident, you are able to treat directly with your primary care provider after the fall.  If you do not have a primary care physician, your personal injury lawyer can also recommend providers that can treat you after your fall.  Like other personal injury claims, if you are not injured from the fall, you more likely than not do not have a claim for personal injury.

Whether you experience a fall due to a defect on someone’s property or slip on a transitory object, Snedaker Law is experienced in handling slip and fall claims.  To obtain a free case evaluation, call Snedaker Law.