Slipped and Fell? Falls are one of the most common ways people get. hurt, especially in winter. Check out this advice to give yourself your best chance at full and fiar compensation.
If you’ve recently had an accident in which you slipped and fell in an icy parking lot, you may be at a loss as far as what you should do next.
Suffering from this kind of incident, whether your injuries are minor or severe, can be a very difficult experience to process. Being injured suddenly and unexpectedly is not only painful, but it can really throw a wrench into your daily life.
No matter how badly you were injured, you may be entitled to amends from the owner of the property where you slipped and fell. It all depends on the details of your case.
Wondering what to do if you had a slip and fall accident?
If you’re considering taking legal action to deal with the situation and rid the property of danger to prevent future accidents, here’s what you should know if you slipped and fell. Read on for our quick guide, applicable to anyone who has recently slipped and fell.
What to Do If You Slipped and Fell
Here are a few steps you should take in case of a slip and fall accident. Falling in an icy parking lot is never fun, especially when the accident could have been prevented.
In this section, we’ll answer your burning questions and guide you through the proper next steps.
Am I At Fault?
If you slipped and fell, you may be asking yourself if the accident was your fault.
Did you lose your balance because you weren’t paying attention? Were you distracted or not watching where you were going? Are you to blame for the situation?
While these are natural questions to ask, you should not question yourself. These are important questions to have the correct answer to, as they can make or break your legal case.
Still, if you know that the accident was not your fault but was due to the negligence of an irresponsible business owner, you should not feel bad about pursuing legal action.
It’s your life, health, and body, after all. You only get one of them, and you want to avoid harm to it as much as humanly possible.
Suffering physical damage as the result of another person’s carelessness is an unfortunate situation that can and should be avoided.
Write Down the Details of the Case
Because the details of the case are important, you should write them down as quickly as you can. You may not remember them the same way later, so get pen to paper as soon as possible after the accident.
If you are unable to write or are in too much pain, ask a trusted friend or loved one to transcribe your story for you.
Review the details of the case with painstaking precision. Ask the person to write down or record everything you say so that you can refer to it later.
Have them ask you questions as if they were a lawyer or had no idea about the accident. If they were the owner of the property or the judge assigned to your case, what would they want to know?
Another option is to dictate with a voice recorder. Many smartphones have a built-in recording app where you can record voice memos.
There are also many programs that will convert your spoken words into digital text. This is a format you can save and keep for a later date, should you need it.
You may not remember the incident very clearly as time goes on. That’s why it’s important to get the accurate details written down and recorded somewhere so that you can refer back to them later.
Snap Photos
Take as many photos at the scene of the accident as possible. These can prove invaluable in a court of law.
If you can show time-stamped pictures of the scene where you slipped and fell and were injured, you may have a winning case on your hands.
When a judge can see with their own eyes how dangerous or hazardous the conditions were, they will be able to better discern whether you deserve some sort of compensation from the property owner for your accident.
What Are My Rights?
It is important to be aware of your rights and have a realistic view of slip and fall cases.
A common misconception is that these types of cases are in the bag, easy to win. As nice as this would be, it’s not the reality.
Just because you slipped and fell and were injured on another person’s property, this does not necessarily mean you have a winning case.
In fact, the truth is that these cases are often rather difficult to prove in a trial.
You’ll have to be able to prove in a court of law where you fell, what caused you to fall, and how long this hazard existed. You’ll have to also show that the cause of your injury or slip was unreasonably dangerous.
In other words, you’ll have to show that the property owner is liable for your accident.
In the case of icy parking lots, you’re going to have to be able to prove that the slipping hazard was completely due to the owner’s negligence. You’ll also have to demonstrate how your accident could have been prevented if a reasonable amount of care had been taken.
Our experience has shown that only about 20% of slip and fall cases are settled the way you’d want them to be. This means settled in favor of the injured person and with a monetary payout. These are industry rates. We settle slip and fall cases at a much higher rate.
Need Legal Assistance?
If you need help dealing with the aftermath of a slip and fall accident, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Timing is of the essence, and we want to have trained eyes on your case as soon as possible after the accident. We provide free case evaluations, and we are standing by all hours of the day to help you.
If you have suffered from slipping and falling in an icy parking lot and want to settle things with the property owner in a fair and reasonable way, then you’re on the right track. You should consider talking to a lawyer.
You should also know that you’re doing the right thing, because you may be able to prevent someone else from suffering a similar fate in the future. So call for a free consultation if you slipped and fell right now.
