Published on nacdl.org
You may be walking your dog, shop for groceries, or at the office when you suddenly find yourself on the ground and you can barely breathe because of pain. You feel you cannot use one of your legs to support your body’s weight or you find it impossible to move one of your arms. Slip and fall accidents are embarrassing at their best, but in most cases, they cause painful injuries. Confused and in aches you don’t know what to do. Don’t worry, most people have no idea what to do in case of a slip and fall accident because it’s not something they experience daily. And you probably make no exception because you’ve never thought about researching what to do if you have a similar accident. Unfortunately, a lack of information can make you make the wrong calls immediately after the accident or in the following days. To avoid making a mistake that can harm your injury claim, this article lists the things you shouldn’t do after a slip and fall accident.
Don’t fail to report the accident
You probably feel too embarrassed you lost your balance and fell, and all you can think about is leaving the premises and going to suffer at home, on your couch, cuddling with your pet. But instead of doing that, no matter how bad you feel, report the slip and fall accident to the appropriate person and ask for them to offer you a copy of the incident report. The managers need to ensure the space is safe for everyone using it, and your slip and fall accident is a proof they failed at their job.
Don’t apologize
Your education tells you to say you’re sorry for disturbing the people around you because you needed help to get up. But remember it’s not your fault you had an accident, and you should stop yourself from automatically apologizing to everyone around. Until you understand who is at fault for the slip and fall accident, resist the urge to say you’re sorry.
Don’t forget to collect evidence
If there are people around who saw the accident and helped you get up, ask for their contact details because your Boise personal injury lawyers will need to get in touch with them when they build your personal injury case. If your injuries allow and you have your phone on you take pictures of the place and try to identify the hazard that caused you to lose balance.
Don’t ignore your injuries
Even if you’re not seriously injured, you should still see a doctor because you may experience a medical issue that gets worse in time. If you don’t call an ambulance because your injuries don’t prevent you from walking, see a primary care doctor as soon as possible to evaluate your health state. And don’t skip any of your doctor’s appointments or therapy sessions because you can damage your personal injury claim.
Your accident has already caused enough injuries, so make sure you don’t make any mistake that can make things worse. See a personal injury lawyer to help you with your case.