What to do after a Slip & Fall in Clearwater, St. Petersburg or Tampa
If you have had a slip & fall or trip & fall, you know how painful (and embarrassing) the event can be. It’s common to jump up and walk away quickly. If you’re not hurt, and can do so safely, that’s fine. However, too often people who are seriously injured in slip & falls or trip & falls fail to report and properly document the incident. When the true scope of their injuries become apparent hours or days later, they then find themselves in a more difficult situation than they should be.
Take a moment to read my top seven tips on what to do immediately after a slip & fall or trip & fall incident.
1. Be sure you’re ok before you get up or allow anyone else to pick you up. Make sure it’s safe to do so and if you’re in a lot of pain, consider requesting EMS so that you do not further injur yourself.
2. Take pictures of the area, the substance or thing that caused you to fall, and if any attempt to clean up the mess or item after your fall. Note, and if possible, photograph the condition of the spill or material (for example, are there multiple track marks through the substance?).
3. If you slipped on a substance, attempt to identify what the substance is (for example, laundry detergent from a leaking bottle on a shelf or water from an ac unit above, etc.)
4. Obtain the name and number of any witnesses who saw the spill before or after your fall or who saw you fall or saw your condition after the fall.
5. Report the accident to the property manager or owner immediately.
6. Request a copy of the incident report if you see that one was completed.
7. Save the clothes and shoes you were wearing at the time. Do not wash, dry or alter then in any way. Put them straight into a clean paper bag and give them to your attorney to preserve.
Slip and Falls can be difficult cases to win, especially if you can’t clearly articulate what you fell on or over and show that the danger existed for a sufficient amount of time so that the defendant knew or should have known about and corrected the danger.
However, with experienced representation you may be able to obtain a recovery for your damages.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a slip and fall, call Personal Injury Attorney Chelsie M. Lamie at 727-501-3464 for a free consultation. You can also learn more about Attorney Lamie by visiting www.chelsielamie.com.