A slip-and-fall incident can occur almost anywhere. Even at businesses where there are multiple employees present to help maintain the facility, it is still possible, for example, for spills and water tracked in after a storm to lead to someone falling.
A slip-and-fault incident that occurs at a business could put someone in the hospital and leave them unable to work for some time. Someone injured because they fell at a business typically will hope to seek compensation by holding a business accountable. A premises liability lawsuit could help someone cover the costs generated when they got hurt at the store. To successfully secure rightful compensation, a fall victim should take certain steps to better protect their rights after a slip-and-fall at a business?
Documenting the property conditions
Was there a major puddle by the front door because the rugs became saturated and nobody replaced or cleaned them? Had someone spilled dry products or fluids without staff members cleaning it up or putting down a warning sign? Such conditions will likely change in a short amount of time after someone falls, so they will want to take pictures or even record video footage of what factors at the store caused them to fall to preserve that evidence for later.
Reporting the matter to management
People who fall may know that they need to go to the hospital because they have broken a bone or may not notice until the next day because they have a soft tissue injury or a traumatic brain injury. Regardless of whether someone notices an immediate injury or not, it will usually be in their best interest to report the manner to management at the store so that there is an internal report of the incident. That report could be crucial corroboration later when someone needs to pursue compensation.
Seeing a doctor for a medical evaluation
There are certain injuries, like traumatic brain injuries, that may not have symptoms when someone gets hurt. People may require a professional medical diagnosis to verify that they have an injury. The date on medical documentation could play a major role in someone’s claim later, so the sooner after the incident they seek care, the better.
Not only will a quicker examination lead to quicker treatment, but there will be less room for the business responsible for the incident to claim that a victim’s harm occurred due to circumstances that unfolded after their fall. Taking the right steps after a slip and fall can help someone potentially minimize the long-term consequences they’re experiencing because of a fall incident.
