What to do legally if you are injured in a slip and fall accident

If you are injured in a slip and fall accident, there are ceretain steps you should take to make sure you are take care of physically, and legally. 

The lawyers at Greene & Phillips say they hear the term “slip and fall” a lot in terms of a legal cases they handle. So what is a slip and fall case?

A slip and fall case is a common name for a class of cases known as premises liability cases. Premises liability cases, at least from an injury perspective, are cases where someone is injured on another person’s property, usually commercial property.

But not everyone who is injured on another person’s property has a case. In fact slip and fall cases are difficult to prove.

In order to receive compensation for your injuries you have to prove that there was something wrong with the property, say water on the floor, that the owner knew about it or should have known about it, and that they didn’t do anything about it, such as clean up the water or put out a wet floor sign. Depending on where it happens, there are also numerous defenses that property owners use to try and win these cases.

If there is water on the floor, make sure that is documented either by pictures or witnesses. Even if there is no dispute about there being something wrong with the property, such as water on the floor, the injured person still has to prove that the owner new about the water and didn’t do anything about it.

If you slip and fall and your are injured on someone elses’ property, first, let the owner or store clerk know that you have been hurt. Ask them to call an ambulance if you think you need one. Getting medical attention should be your number one priority.

After that, look around to see what caused you to slip and fall. Is there water on the floor? Did you trip on something in the aile? If so, take a picture of it if you can. Third, if you slip at a store, ask any employees who might be around where the water came from. Fourth, get a copy of any accident report, which may be filled out by a store manager.

Personal attorneys help people who have been injured in slip and falls all the time. Slikp and fall cases are tough, so there are a few more things to keep in mind that will help your case in thr long run.

If a person gives a recorded statement to an adjuster without consulting a lawyer first, then the person will likely say something which will prevent any recovery. This is the type of case where it really pays to know the legal elements and defenses at issue and then use that knowledge to gain the upper hand in the case. Only an experienced personal injury attorney can do that.

If you’re hurt and have questions, call Greene & Phillips at (888) 510-1020 or (251) 478-1115, or fill out a free online consultation form at Mobilehttp://greenephillips.com/ . Or, visit the lawyers at Greene & Phillips at 50 North Florida Street in Mobile.