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Whether you’re at the supermarket buying your weekly groceries or at your favorite restaurant, the last thing you expect is to suffer an injury. Even at a friend or family member’s home, injuries can arise out of property negligence. If you get hurt on someone else’s property, you should know what to do.
Slip and fall accidents — a part of premises liability — can quickly become overwhelming since you must prove the property owner was aware of the danger. The insurance companies will also try to take advantage of your lack of legal knowledge by offering you a low settlement.
Make sure you have a valid claim and protect your rights by speaking with a Boca Raton premises liability lawyer and following these steps.
Read More: Getting Due Compensation with a Slip and Fall Attorney
Contents
Get Medical Treatment for Your Injuries
One of the requirements of a personal injury claim is that you must have sustained an injury. It’s easy to feel embarrassed about what happened, but you should promptly get medical treatment, even if you think you’re fine. You may not need an ambulance, but getting urgent attention for your injuries is imperative to prevent them from worsening. This will also create evidence of your injuries to support your personal injury claim.
Collect Evidence
If you can, gather as much evidence as possible on the scene. Take photos of the hazard that caused you harm because it could be removed, cleaned, or repaired after, making it hard to prove it was there in the first place. If anyone saw what happened, get their contact information — their testimony can be helpful.
Most slip-and-fall victims don’t realize it, but their clothing is also evidence. Take everything you were wearing from head to toe and seal it in plastic bags.
File an Incident Report
For slip and fall accidents that occur at a place of business, you should tell the manager immediately and have an accident report created. Larger stores usually require this of injured customers, and you should make sure you have a copy of this report in your hands before you leave.
Avoid Making Statements to Insurers
Many innocent things you say could easily be turned against you by the insurance company. They will try every trick in the book to twist it to seem like you were at fault for your injuries. The best course of action is to tell them you’ll have your attorney contact them. You do not want to sign anything without having legal representation to protect your rights.
Read More: Workers’ Compensation vs. Personal Injury Claims: What is The Difference?
File a Claim or Lawsuit
After taking these steps, you will file your personal injury claim. This request seeks compensation from the property owner or their insurer for your injuries. You will need to show evidence and make a demand for compensation.
This will be reviewed by the business owner or insurance company and may result in an immediate settlement offer. The offer may be too low, though, or they may deny your claim. Your lawyer can then prepare to take formal legal action through a lawsuit to fight for the compensation you deserve.