Every year countless slip/trip and fall accidents occur in California. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the steps they should take if they get injured in a slip and fall accident that occurred due to someone else’s negligence.

Follow the steps explained below to protect your rights and build the best possible legal case against the party responsible for the harm.

Get medical help immediately.

If you experience a slip/trip and fall incident, your health should be your first priority. Therefore, contact the emergency service providers immediately and get your injuries checked. If you are injured, your medical reports can be used against the opposing party when you make a claim.

Remember to get your treatment according to your doctor’s instructions. If you don’t get the treatment on time, the opposing side may claim that you were not injured and just made up the whole thing.

Report your fall.

No matter where you slip, you should report the case to the management or property owner right away. Ask them to make a written report and add all the details related to the incident to that report. Make sure you have a copy of the report before you leave.

Try to limit your communication with the management or landlord. They can use your statement against you in court if you said something you didn’t mean to say or something incriminating.

Get photos of the scene.

Slip and fall accidents can occur due to multiple reasons such as a wet floor, unsafe stairs, or improper safety practices. Make sure you take photos of the area that contains the thing which made you fall. You should also take photos of your bruises and injuries to use them later when the need arises. 

Keep documents linked to your case safe.

Write down everything related to the incident on paper or on your laptop. You should include the name of the place, address, names of the eyewitnesses, medical bills, documents that report your absence from work due to injuries, etc., because you can use them as relevant pieces of evidence later.

Do not wash your clothes or clean the shoes you were wearing when the incident happened. Instead, store them in a box. Any bloodstain or chemical on your clothes or shoe can also be used as evidence.

Hire a personal injury attorney.

Many slip/trip and fall accidents are difficult to prove. If you want to take legal action against the building management or owner, you should hire an experienced personal injury attorney to handle the legal process for you.

A personal injury attorney can help you with your case in the following ways:

• Investigate the case to find the liable party and investigate all the pertaining factors.
• Gather evidence to prove the extent of your injuries and their negative influence on your life.
• Negotiate with the insurance company to help you get the maximum compensation.

Let professionals, like the attorneys and staff working at Blake Law Group, help you obtain compensation for the accident caused by the negligence of someone else.