Tips for Handling a Slip and Fall Injury Claim 

Accidents, just like death and taxes, are one of the few unavoidable things in this world. Everything is a potential hazard, we know, but what do you do when you suffer an injury that could be avoided if the property owners were more vigilant? You demand compensation for your unwarranted suffering. Thus the need arises to file a slip and fall injury suit.

What Is a Slip and Fall Injury Claim?

There is a law titled ‘Premises liability,’ which requires all property owners to keep their surroundings clean and hazard-free to ensure their safety for as long as they remain there. 

Thus, if you ever get injured or wounded during your stay on the property or around its vicinity, and you feel the owners could have done more to prevent it, you can file a lawsuit against them. This lawsuit is referred to as a slip and fall injury claim. 

A slip and fall injury claim is a suit demanding compensation for damages caused, including; mental, emotional, and physical, because you blame the accident on negligence on the property owners.

Tips un Handling a Slip & Fall Injury Claim

Below are a few tips that will help increase your chances of winning your slip and fall injury claim:

Send a report of the accident to the owner of the premises

It is always advisable that if you ever suffer an injury by falling, you should ensure to report the incident to the property owners as soon as possible. If the accident occurs in a commercial or public place, then report to the appropriate authorities within 24 hours. 

This is because it doesn’t bode well for your interview with the insurance company. If you don’t report the incident as early as possible, the time-lapse will plant doubts about the legitimacy of your unwitnessed accident. 

Take pictures as early as possible

Of course, you just had an accident and are in pain. You don’t have the time nor energy to start taking selfies. This is understandable, but if possible, you should try to take as many pictures as you can from and many angles as you can. 

Having pictorial evidence of the state of the surroundings at the time of the slip and fall accident helps support your claim of negligence on the owner’s part. This is especially helpful with ice and snow claims as snow could melt or be cleared away. Pictures could make or break your suit in these cases.

Get medical attention and inform your medical care providers

If you get wounded or hurt, go and see a doctor get yourself fixed up. This is good for safety and also helping you prove your claims about your slip and fall injuries. 

Insurance companies are usually hesitant to pay when the plaintiff is shown to have boycotted medical attention. The assumption is that you weren’t that hurt if you didn’t need doctors. 

Also, ensure reporting to your insurance company about your accident and how it happened, let your report be clear, and tally with the hospital’s records.

Submitting a recorded statement is not compulsory

Normally, after an accident has been reported to your medical care provider, you may receive a call or visit by your insurer requesting a recorded report. You don’t have to and absolutely should not give it if you do not have a lawyer present. 

You are not required by law to cooperate with this request, and unless you have a law practitioner beside you, a recorded statement is of no use to you.

Obtain witnesses’ contact information

In the case of an accident, you must get the names and other vital information from those who witnessed it. These witnesses are crucial to you winning your slip and fall claim as they can help buttress your point.

Ensure that you follow the due process

Before you can successfully file a suit for damages, your situation needs to meet some law requirements.

According to a Houston slip and fall attorney, These three factors are:

– Was the danger known to the owner of the property?

– Did the owner take considerable action to deal with this danger and protect you?

– Did you suffer injuries due to managerial negligence?

If you can answer these questions convincingly, then you have a viable lawsuit claim on your hands.

Slip and fall claims are one of the tricky lawsuits that are difficult to predict because the argument is usually subjective. The worth of your claim is dependent on how serious your injuries are and how much your suffering is worth. 

Common causes of these sorts of claims include wet floors, dangerous stairs, uneven sidewalks, and ice&snow. If you apply all the above tips to handle your slip and fall claim, you will already be on your way to deserved compensation.