When you are getting older, something you have to watch out for is slipping and falling. If you do happen to slip and fall, you could be at a greater risk of serious injury.
As you may know, stores and businesses have a responsibility to maintain their premises and to make sure that all people are able to come and go safely. If there has been a snowstorm, the business should put down salt and shovel the walkways. If there are stairs outside the building, they should have tread added to make sure they won’t be slick during heavy rains. These and other steps should be taken by the business to help people avoid slip-and-fall accidents.
What should you do if you slip and fall on someone else’s property?
If you slip and fall while you’re on another party’s property, you should let the owner or manager of the property know right away. For example, if you are in the grocery store and slip on a spill, you should inform a staff member and the supervisor or manager on duty. If you need medical support, they should call 911 to have an ambulance come to the scene.
Let them know that you do intend to make a claim for your injury. If they try to offer you money or an item for free because of your fall, don’t take it. Accepting this item may make it seem as if you accepted a settlement for the fall in exchange for not making a claim. To avoid confusion, don’t accept anything as an apology for your fall, just wait to make a legal claim with your attorney’s help.
After you get medical care, you should keep the receipts and track the diagnoses you were given. It may be possible to make a claim for your expenses as well as any other financial losses or pain and suffering that have resulted from the incident.
A premises liability claim may help you collect money to cover your medical expenses, lost wages if you’re working, pain and suffering and other expenses related to your injury. Keep good documentation to make this claim more easily.