All About Starting A Slip And Fall Injury Claim

It’s important that you take the following actions after suffering from a slip and fall injury. Doing so will virtually guarantee that you get a bigger settlement.

Report the Accident to the Person Who Owns the Premises

It’s important that you report the accident to the person who either owns the premises or is connected to that person. You need to report your accident to the highest-ranking person on the property if you’re hurt on a commercial premises.

You can get hurt on public (government) property and not have the injuries be severe enough to require action from EMT. However, you should still report the accident to the city or town quickly.

Remember, the sooner you file a lawsuit, the bigger your potential settlement will be. So file your lawsuit as soon as you can. That’s especially true if there were no witnesses present. It’s because the insurance company will assume that the accident wasn’t as severe if there was no one present and you wait a while to file the claim. Your best bet would be to send the insurance company a notification letter.

Get Names of Witnesses

That’s important since these people can and will back your side of the story. You need to get names and contact information as soon as possible so that you can reach out them quickly. Having witnesses present in a slip and fall case can mean the difference between getting a huge settlement and walking away with nothing.

Take Pictures Immediately

You want to take pictures as soon as possible since they can be used as evidence in court. You can easily take pictures if you have a smartphone. If you don’t, then have someone you know take the pictures for you!

Remember that evidence like ice and snow is easy to slip and fall and hurt yourself badly on. The bad thing is that this type of evidence can melt away and disappear quickly! Your chances of getting the settlement will evaporate as the ice and snow melts away.

See the doctor

You need to see the doctor even if you have seemingly minor injuries. These types of injuries can and often do morph into more serious injuries quickly. Seeing a doctor right away will help lessen the severity of these injuries. You’ll also heal faster. Doctors produce medical records which serve as great evidence, either in or out of court.

Tell Your Doctors How You Got Hurt

If you’re going to take your case to court, you need to make sure that all details of your evidence and story are consistent. Insurance companies and juries don’t like conflicting information and evidence. Your chances of winning a settlement are slim if inconsistencies in either your evidence, information, or both exist, as per personal injury lawyer in Ottawa.

That’s why it’s important to tell your doctors exactly how you got hurt and how that has affected you and your health!

Be Truthful When Filling Accident Report Forms Out

If you’re going to fill these out, at least be accurate and consistent when doing so. Not doing so can hurt your case tremendously. Remember that you’re never obligated to fill these types of forms out.