Slip, trip, and fall accidents are very common and occur in stores, restaurants, and other businesses, parking lots, homes, land as well as on city sidewalks. In many cases, these accidents are not the fault of the victim. If so, then Florida law requires buildings, businesses, walkways, and parking lots, among others, be maintained for safety.
These types of cases are known as premises liability cases. Consequently, if you have been injured in a slip, trip, and/or fall down accident due to someone else’s negligence of their property could mean you are entitled to make a claim or sue for compensation to recover lost wages, medical bills incurred, and pain and suffering resulting from the subject accident.
In order to properly document the accident and to get proper medical care, you should first and foremost, get the medical care you require following the accident. In addition, your treating physician can fully document your injuries. Your medical records will be crucial evidence in your case should you seek compensation and pursue the claim.
Reporting the Accident – When an accident takes place in a store, restaurant, business, sidewalk, parking lot, hotel, or home, etc., you should report it immediately to the manager, owner, or landlord. The manager, owner, or landlord should document the accident in a written incident report and provide you with a copy, and you should request a copy.
You should collect and document vital information, so if others witnessed your accident, get their names and contact information as potential witnesses should you pursue a legal claim. Take pictures of the scene of the accident, making sure to document the conditions which contributed to your accident. Write out your recollection of the accident including what you were doing, how you fell, time, date, and any other pertinent information. Keep the shoes and clothes you were wearing at the time of the accident stored in a safe place and take photos of those as well.
You should try to remain calm and not place blame or accept any fault. Limit your comments to the business manager or owner. You should also refrain from posting details of your accident on social media. You should speak to an attorney prior to giving a statement to the involved insurance company for the premises where the incident occurred.
After an Accident, you should promptly contact an experienced Personal Injury lawyer, such as the attorneys at the law firm of CASERTA & SPIRITI to review your case, and if retained, to assist you in pursuing your bodily injury claim.