Slip and fall accidents are often tricky for legal situations because the people who fall occasionally feel responsible for their own falling. Unfortunately, this is not really the case, since companies and organizations and individuals have a responsibility to maintain their facilities and make sure that no one gets hurt while on the premises.
For example, if you go to a restaurant here in San Antonio, and there is a layer of grease near the kitchen. The restaurant should clean this up before someone slips and falls on it. If someone walks to the bathroom and falls on the grease, then the restaurant is liable for the negligence.
If you feel bad about suing someone or if you feel like the accident was your fault, then sit down and reevaluate your situation. You may be eligible for compensation, making it necessary for you to get a lawyer. To speak with an experienced slip and fall lawyer, call The Law Giant at 866-523-4167 to set a free, no-risk case consultation.
Aside from contacting The Law Giant, Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers, consider the following and asses your situation after a fall.
Consider Your Location
If you slip and fall in front of your own home then you probably do not have a case, but if you slip and fall when walking around in a restaurant or while in a parking lot you should contact a lawyer. Business and property owners have a responsibility to keep their property slip-free. If it snows outside and you don’t shovel your driveway you might get sued if someone slips on your property. If there is grease on the floor of your restaurant and someone falls, you might be paying their medical bills.
Take Down As Much Evidence As Possible
Write down everything you can remember from your slip and fall accident. You may get knocked out or something like that, but you should be able to ask a friend what happened. Compile any hospital charges and other health fees you have accumulated related to the event. If possible, file a complaint with management, or call a San Antonio police offices to file a report. This way you will have records of the event and what happened.
Don’t Talk With Any Other Parties
One of the worst things you could do is talk to a lawyer who is not representing you. They may try to get you to sign a document that forces you to pay money, get no money, or not get enough money for your damages. You also want to avoid people who are in the other party. Try to avoid any calls or communications with the restaurant or organization who was negligent.
Keep Track of Your Medical Bills
Let’s say you were walking in a parking lot while leaving the movie theater and you slipped on a patch of ice. You go to the doctor to get stitched up and you move on with your life. Most people do not realize that the movie theater has a responsibility to put salt down in their parking lot to protect customers from ice. If you have to pay for any medical bills because you slipped and fell on someone’s property then you can contact a lawyer to see if your medical expenses can be covered by the property owner.
Contact A Lawyer
Call a lawyer who provides consultations for free. The best lawyers don’t get paid until you they win the case for you. Get a lawyer, in the city where the injury occurred, who can speak with other lawyers and field any communications needed with other parties. Lawyers are there to understand your evidence and get you the highest amount of compensation possible. You deserve it, so why not get a lawyer who works hard for you.
Mistakes to Avoid after a slip and Fall Accident
When you go out to a restaurant you like to reasonably assume that when you go to the bathroom you won’t slip on a layer of grease near the kitchen. This isn’t always the case if the restaurant isn’t taking care of the cleanup. Slip and fall accidents happen all over the place, and people just write them off as clumsiness. This is a horrible way to approach slip and fall accidents since you shouldn’t have to walk into an establishment and have to worry about the ground not being safe to walk on.
If you get into a slip and fall accident then there are plenty of things that you need to avoid. People tend to make mistakes after slip and fall accidents, preventing them from receiving the compensation they deserve for their damages.
Let’s take a look at some of these mistakes and understand how you can avoid them.
Just Getting Up and Walking Away
It’s quite common for people to feel embarrassed after a slip and fall accident, causing them to just get up and walk away as soon as possible. When you get into a slip and fall accident it’s important to stay in the area and figure out if someone else was negligent. Talk to the people who saw you fall and make sure that you aren’t too injured. If you get up and move you might actually cause more damage to your body.
Not Talking Down Names of Witnesses
If there are people in the area then they are your best bet at receiving compensation for your slip and fall accident. Takedown the names and numbers of the people who saw you fall, and give this information to your personal injury lawyer. This allows the lawyer to figure out a plan of action and bring in the people who can support your case. If you don’t have witnesses then it’s basically your word against the negligent party’s.
Talking to the Owner of the Establishment too Much
If you slip and fall in an establishment, then you might not want to talk with them too much. If you give them a hint that you might consider legal action then they might go ahead and round up a team of legal professionals to take you down. Talk to your personal injury lawyer first and have them send the first legal notice. Don’t sign anything or accept any gifts from the establishment because this could hurt you down the line.
Getting Paid for Your Slip and Fall Injuries
One of the main reasons you should actually get paid for a slip and fall accident is if you are severely injured. If you feel a little dizzy from falling on the ground you get a scratch on your knee then you should never take advantage of the American legal system because of small injuries like this. However, if you damage your spinal cord or break a bone it is reasonable to assume that you want to get your medical bills paid for.
Is It Clear Who Was At-Fault?
If you can’t identify who was responsible for your slip and fall accident than a will be quite difficult to get paid for it. Speak with your personal injury lawyer and figure out where you were when the slip and fall accident occurred. If you are in a business setting than the company is probably responsible. If you were in someone’s home then that homeowner is most likely responsible for whatever cause your slip and fall accident.
What To Tell A Lawyer After Slip and Fall Accident
The best course of action for slip and fall accident is to contact a lawyer to receive as much compensation as you can for the accident. But what should you tell your lawyer if you are in a slip and fall accident?
Show Them Your Injuries
If you broke your arm or receive some bruises from the slip and fall accident then you should always show this to your lawyer. Even if the injuries have healed then you should provide pictures that detail exactly what type of injuries occurred because of the incident. These photos allow your lawyer some leverage when arguing the case against another party or to a judge. They create sympathy and generates a true image of what happened because of someone else’s negligence.
Explain your Medical Bills and Give Them Copies
If you had to go to the hospital in order to repair a broken bone or get your head checked out because of a slip and fall accident then you need to present these medical bills to your lawyer. This gives them a benchmark so they can figure out exactly how much money you should receive because of the accident. Talk about your medical bills with the lawyer and explain every procedure that occurred after the accident happened. There could always be some hidden costs that you might need to be compensated for.
Tell Them The Entire Situation
Set the scene for your lawyer by explaining the place you were at when you slipped and fell. Talk about the organization that you would like to sue, and proceed by outlining what occurred at the scene of the crime. Who was with you? Were there any other witnesses at the location? Were you simply walking and minding your own business, or was there a reason that you slipped and fell?
Contact The Law Giant, Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers
Were you recently a victim of a slip and fall accident that wasn’t your fault? Get a free case review from The Law Giant, Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers and learn what steps you can take next. Our San Antonio injury attorneys have helped thousands seek the compensation they deserve.
Call 866-523-4167 for a free, no-risk evaluation.
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