People often expect a simple compensation process after a slip-and-fall. After all, businesses generally carry premises liability insurance for these types of situations. Those hurt while patronizing a business may expect insurance providers to work with them.
However, the choices that they make immediately after the incident can directly influence their chances of success when seeking compensation later. Some of the choices that people make after a slip-and-fall turn out to be mistakes that might affect their pursuit of compensation later.
What mistake should people try to avoid after a slip-and-fall at a retail shop or other business?
Leaving the scene without taking pictures
Typically, slip-and-fall incidents occur because of unsafe property conditions. A leak from a refrigeration unit or a muddy entryway rug might be the reason that a visitor slips, falls and ends up injured. Spills left unaddressed or uncovered electrical cords running across aisles could also lead to people slipping or tripping and falling. Using a mobile phone to document the environmental conditions that caused the slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall can help people prove that negligent property maintenance contributed to their injuries.
Leaving the store without reporting the incident
After documenting the conditions that caused the slip-and-fall, the next step should be reporting what happened to the manager on duty at the business. The manager can put together an incident report that affirms what happened. The record of the slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall can help the injured visitor prove that something happened at the business when they try to seek compensation for their injuries later.
Choosing not to see a doctor
Mistakes may continue even after the person leaves the store. They might try to go on with their day without seeing a healthcare professional first. People forget that they could sustain invisible injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). It can take several days after a traumatic injury for people to develop the telltale symptoms of a TBI. People with stable fractures or soft tissue injuries could also go a day or longer before they start developing symptoms. Seeing a doctor as soon as possible can help people get the diagnosis they need to obtain treatment. The timing of the medical appointment can also help limit questions about the origins of the injury.
People hurt in slip-and-fall incidents may also need to discuss the situation with someone familiar with personal injury laws. Reviewing the situation with a skilled legal team can help the person who has fallen evaluate their options for pursuing compensation.