Steps to Take After a Slip and Fall on Private Property
After your slip and fall, you must take the following steps:
1. Get Medical Help
Immediately after your slip and fall accident, you need to obtain a medical evaluation. If you initially feel fine, you should still seek medical attention from emergency responders. You may suffer from invisible injuries or be in shock, preventing you from feeling the full extent of your injuries.
If you do not obtain a medical evaluation, the defense may argue your injuries did not occur in a slip and fall accident but instead were caused in another way. You can build your case against the negligent property owner by getting medical help immediately after the accident.
Additionally, you should follow up with your healthcare provider and follow their treatment plan accordingly to achieve maximum medical improvement and move forward with your slip and fall injury claim.
2. Gather Evidence to Support Your Case
While you are waiting for emergency responders to arrive at the scene of your slip and fall accident, you should do what you can to gather evidence to support your case. Start by taking photos of your injuries and the scene around you.
You should also take a video of the surrounding hazards and note any homes or businesses nearby that may have caught your slip-and-fall accident on camera.
If anyone witnessed the accident, you should get their contact information and a statement to provide these details to your attorney for further review. You might also take a minute to write down how the accident happened immediately afterward while it’s top of mind.
3. Contact a Slip and Fall Lawyer for Help
When your healthcare providers declare you medically stable, contacting a slip-and-fall lawyer for help should be at the top of your priority list. The sooner you get started on your case, the better.
The statute of limitations will already have begun. The statute of limitations for slip and fall and personal injury claims in Alabama is just two years, according to Code of Alabama section 6-2-38.
We may also gather witness statements, video footage of the accident, and other time-sensitive evidence that may only be available for a short period after your slip and fall.
