What to Do If You Slipped and Fell on a Business Premises
According to the National Floor Safety Institute, slip and falls contribute to about one million emergency room visits a year.
Injuries from a fall can include broken bones, brain trauma, and back injuries. If you also consider the medical costs of x-rays, surgeries and rehabilitation, then you can have a picture of the financial strain associated with a slip and fall injury. You might also not be able to go to work during the treatment for your fall, bringing up the issue of falling into debt.
When you slip and fall in a business premises, you can bring a claim against the business to compensate you for your loss. This is especially if the business owner was negligent in causing the fall.
However, the success or failure of your premises liability claim in West Palm Beach depends on the actions you take after the fall. Here are top things you should do after experiencing a fall while at a business premises.
Check for Injuries
After slip and fall in a business premises, the first thing you should do is check your body for injuries. A slight symptom might indicate something serious in the long run. This also means that you should get immediate medical attention to check for any other injuries.
Some injuries aren’t easily noticeable without medical help. If you don’t immediately check and treat bodily injuries, the business owner can contend that the injury wasn’t serious and as a result, you don’t need compensation.
File a Report with the Business Manager
Before you leave the accident scene, make sure you file a written incident report with the manager and that you get a copy. The purpose of this is to leave a paper trail that will serve as evidence of the accident. It would be difficult for the business owner to deny the accident if there is an incident report.
Take Pictures of the Incident
After the accident, make sure you take pictures of your injuries and the hazard that caused the fall. This will also serve as quality evidence of the accident if there is an attempt at denying liability. You can easily use your phone camera to take the required pictures.
Get CCTV Recordings
Most business premises have CCTV cameras for security purposes. If the business premises has CCTV, request CCTV footage of the accident. You can either record it with your cell phone or get a copy of the CCTV recording.
Get the Contact Information of Any Witnesses
You should try getting the contact information of eyewitnesses. This will be invaluable if your attorney needs witness testimony to establish the liability of the business owner.
Schedule a Meeting with a West Palm Beach Personal Injury Lawyer
After gathering all the evidence, you need to get in touch with an experienced personal injury lawyer who is well versed in Florida premises liability law. The attorneys with the Pendas Law Firm can help. Our West Palm Beach personal injury law firm has experience representing folks throughout the Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Daytona Beach and Bradenton areas.
Resource:
nfsi.org/nfsi-research/quick-facts/
