Best Tips to Prove Your Slip-and-Fall Accident

 Posted on April 29, 2024 in Personal Injury

You may be entitled to compensation if you were hurt on someone else’s property because of their negligence. However, proving fault in a slip-and-fall case can be challenging. An Illinois lawyer can provide some of the best tips to strengthen your claim.

Seek Immediate Medical Attention Before Anything

Prioritizing your health is crucial after experiencing a slip and fall. It is important to seek immediate medical attention at an emergency room, urgent care, or from your primary physician, even if the injuries seem minor. Having official medical documentation creates an important record linking your injuries to the accident. Follow through with any prescribed treatment plans, referrals to specialists, or recommended diagnostic testing. Failing to get prompt treatment could hurt your claim later.

Report the Incident After You Seek Care

As soon as possible after the slip and fall, report it formally to the property owner, manager, or another authorized employee of the premises where you fell. Ask them to fill out an incident report with all the details of what happened, where it occurred, descriptions of any hazardous conditions that caused the fall, and information about any witnesses. Request a copy of the completed incident report. Do not sign anything until you have carefully reviewed it to ensure all the facts are accurate.

Document the Scene

If you are able to safely do so after the fall, use your smartphone to extensively document the accident scene and capture photo or video evidence of any hazardous conditions that likely caused or contributed to the incident. Take pictures and videos from multiple angles, showing things like poor lighting, torn or bulging carpet, cluttered walkways, slippery floors, lack of handrails, or lack of warning cones and signs about potential dangers. This documentation is vital before any clean-up happens or conditions are altered.

Hang on to Your Clothing and Shoes

The clothing and shoes you were wearing at the time of the slip and fall could potentially contain important evidence like scuffs, rips, stains, or other defects that resulted from the impact of your fall. Keep these items in a secure place, exactly as they were after the accident, and avoid cleaning them until after your case is resolved. These items may need to be entered as evidence.

Keep a Record

After a slip and fall accident, it is important to document everything in detail for your records. This includes keeping a daily journal or log describing your injuries, symptoms, treatments received, medications taken, and how your life has been impacted. Note things like difficulty performing daily activities, missed time from work, inability to enjoy hobbies, strains on personal relationships, and any other ways the injuries have affected your life.

Save all medical bills, receipts, pay stubs showing lost income, and any other relevant documents and evidence related to expenses and losses caused by the accident. These records will help demonstrate the full extent of your damages.

Avoid Social Media

Be cautious about what you post on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram after being injured in a slip and fall accident. The property owner’s attorneys or insurance company may try to access and use your public posts to dispute the severity of your injuries or attempt to claim your actions caused or contributed to the incident.

Avoid posting details, comments, check-ins, photographs, or videos that could be taken out of context and misconstrued to reduce your claim’s value. Keeping information about your accident offline is best until your case is resolved.

Identify Witnesses

If there were any witnesses to your slip and fall accident, try to get their full names and current contact information, such as phone numbers and email addresses. Testimony from objective third parties who saw the incident can help to bring some validation to your version of events and the dangerous conditions that existed. Their statements could end up being invaluable to your case.

Contact a Chicago, IL Personal Injury Lawyer

By following these tips, you will have much stronger evidence to prove that the property owner failed to maintain a reasonably safe environment, which caused your slip-and-fall injuries. A Hyde Park, IL, personal injury attorney can then build a compelling case and fight for potential compensation. Call Kadzai Law Group, LLC at 312-229-0050 to start with a free consultation.