When you enter into a home or any place of business, you do not expect to have an accident. They have a duty of care to ensue that visitors are safe while inside their property. This is known as Premise Liability. In fact, slips, trips, and fall accidents occur commonly at grocery stores. After an accident occurs, many people unfortunately do not know what to do after suffering a slip, trip, or fall. To insure your maximum compensation, below are 5 steps to take after experiencing a slip and fall accident.

Step 1: Seek Medical Treatment

After an accident, it is important to seek medical treatment. Common injuries from a slip and fall accident includes:

• Head Injuries

• Soft Tissue Injuries

• Spinal Cord Injuries

• Broken bones

According to The National Floor Safety Institute, falls account for over 8 million hospital emergency room visits, making up the leading cause of visits. Injuries sustained in a slip and fall accident can range from minor to life threatening. Seeking treatment immediately is recommend even if you don’t feel pain right after. It is also important to have injuries documented for your claim.

Step 2: Report the Accident

When an accident happened, the details must be documented. This can be achieved with reporting it to a manager, business owner, or the homeowner if it occurred on private property. Having an incident report documented can greatly help your case. Claimants should also get a copy of the written report to verify that the information is correct.

Step 3: Collect Information

As with any case, it is necessary to gather information of the scene. Information to be gather can include:

• Contact information of witnesses

• Photos of the scene

• Copy of surveillance tapes, if available

• Details of where exactly the accident occurred

• Contact information of any managers, landlords, or business owners from where the accident occurred

You should document what exactly happen prior to the accident. If possible, clothes that were worn when the accident occurred should be kept in a safe and secured place. Clothes that were worn can be further evidence to prove your claim.

Step 4: Don’t Discuss the Accident

After making an incident report, an insurance agent, manager, or landlord may try to ask about the accident. It is best to not give any statements until you’ve hired an attorney. The insurance agent may use the information to deny your claim.

Staying off social is also advisable. Avoid posting anything on social media that pertains to your accident and discourage friends from discussing it as well. Insurance agents use social media as tools to find evidence against your claim. Above all, avoid signing any document from the insurance company. This includes statements, medical records releases, and settlement releases. This can cause the insurance company to deny your claim.

Step 5: Hire an Experienced Attorney

A slip, trip, and fall accident claim can be very complex. As such, it is best to hire an experienced attorney to handle your claim. An experienced attorney can take on the insurance adjuster as well as their lawyers. Tran Law Group has experience with handling slip, trip, and fall accidents. We offer free, no obligation consultation.

If you or a loved one has suffered a slip, trip, or fall, contact our office at 713-789-5200. Let us be your legal team!