It only takes a second to slip and fall, but that quick second could affect your life for years.

Sometimes falls just happen, but other times, they are due to the negligence of others. If others are at fault, you may be able to sue for your injuries. A lawsuit won’t undo the incident or make your injuries go away, but it can help you recover compensation for:

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What Steps Should I Take After My Slip and Fall Incident?

Get Medical Care

If it’s an emergency, get help right away. But even if your injuries don’t seem urgent, it’s still a good idea to see a doctor. They may be able to detect problems that you can’t immediately see (such as brain injuries) and keep you from doing things that would worsen your injuries.

Medical visits don’t just help you heal, they provide third-party documentation of your injury. If the negligent party tries to pass your injury off as a pre-existing condition, you’ll have proof that your injury is directly linked to your slip and fall incident.

Make sure to go to all of your medical appointments. Missing appointments could not only slow your recovery time, it could hurt your legal case. The opposing party could use this to show that your injuries were not that bad or that you were not motivated to get better.

Photograph the Scene

Take photos of the accident scene (or have someone else take photos if you are unable to do so). Make sure to include details that could have contributed to your injuries. Was there a spill on the floor but no caution signs surrounding the spill? Was there debris left on the floor? Was there uneven flooring or a broken step? Capture anything relevant in your photos.

Photograph the Injuries

If your injuries are visible, take pictures of them.

Talk to Witnesses

Get contact information for anyone who witnessed your fall.

Write Down Details

Memories can blur with time, so make sure to write down exactly what caused your fall and when it happened. Write a description of any injuries that you noticed. If your symptoms from the injuries change over time, document that as well.

Do I Have a Valid Legal Case for My Slip and Fall Injuries?

If you are injured in a fall and want to bring a case against a property or business owner, you will need to prove the following:

Negligence

Your case must demonstrate that a third party had a reasonable duty of care to prevent your injury and that they breached this duty. For example, you could prove that a grocery store had a duty of care to keep their floors free from spills and debris. Then, you could prove that they failed to perform this duty when they left a spill unmarked and unattended for an hour.

Causation

Next, you must prove the connection between your injuries and the third party’s negligence. In the example above, you could show that because the grocery store team failed to clean up the spill within a reasonable time frame, you slipped and broke your leg.

Damages

You must then show that your broken leg caused you to suffer damages. These may include financial damages from medical bills and from having to miss work while you recovered from your injuries.

Do I Need an Accident Attorney to File a Lawsuit?

While you can file a lawsuit on your own, consider the following benefits of hiring a personal injury attorney:

When Should I Call an Attorney?

Right after the accident. A good attorney can tell you immediately if they think you have a solid legal case. They can then make sure that you gather all of the right evidence from the accident scene and get the best medical care from the start.

What if I’m Injured on the Job?

Start by reporting your injury to your supervisor. They should have you fill out the proper forms and give you an immediate referral to a contracted physician.

A slip and fall injury at work is usually covered by workers’ compensation insurance, but if your company denies your claim, retaliates against you for reporting the injury, or drags its feet in getting you benefits, search for a “workers’ compensation attorney near me.” A good attorney can stand up for your rights and make sure you get the benefits you deserve.

If you want to know how strong your slip and fall legal case is, contact our accident injury lawyers who serve Summerlin, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, and more. We lower your risk by working on contingency fees; you don’t pay us until you get compensation for your case.

The post Injured After a Slip and Fall? Here’s What to Do appeared first on Las Vegas Personal Injury Attorneys.

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