If you've been seriously injured in a slip-and-fall accident, you may hope to recover your lost wages, medical expenses, and more from a personal injury claim -- but it takes evidence to win in court. The steps you take to preserve important pieces of evidence right after your accident can potentially "make or break" your case.
Here are the steps you need to take to protect your interests after a slip-and-fall accident caused by another party's negligence:
1. Try to get photos of the scene.
If you're hurt, the last thing you're likely to do is to whip out your cellphone and start taking pictures. However, if there's someone with you at the time, ask them to take photos of the entire scene. If possible, ask them to get photos while you are still on the ground and once you have been helped away. Those photos may eventually be used to show what caused you to fall, the conditions of the ground, where you landed and what the scene looked like right after you were hurt.
2. Preserve your shoes and clothes.
Your clothes and shoes are always important in these kinds of claims. Many falls are caused by slippery substances that have gotten onto the floor and been ignored -- such as grease, cleaning fluid, broken eggs, spoiled fruit, and soda. (You may be surprised how fast, however, that the evidence on the floor is cleaned up once you fall.) Your clothes may preserve proof that the floor wasn't properly cleaned -- despite the property owner's claims.
Your footwear is important to preserve because property owners and their insurance companies often try to throw blame back on the victims of falls. They may try to assert that you weren't wearing proper footwear for the circumstances and are, therefore, at least partially responsible for your own losses. For example, they may claim that the tread on your sneakers was worn or a loose heel on your shoe is really responsible for your fall.
3. Keep a notebook that you can use to document your recovery.
You should keep a journal regarding your condition after a fall. That's the easiest way to document your recovery -- and everything that recovery took. It may also be important when it comes time to discuss what you should be paid for your pain and suffering. The more you can show the damage that was done to your overall ability to enjoy life while you were healing, the stronger your case.
Slip-and-fall accidents have the potential to be incredibly destructive to your well-being and life but don't expect the insurance company involved to be particularly generous. A slip-and-fall accident attorney can help you assert your rights and fight for what you are due.
For more information regarding slip-and-fall accidents, contact companies like Nelson Fromer & Crocco Law Offices.
It isn't always easy to know how to move forward after something happens like a car accident, but the right people can guide you through the process. From talking with you about how you are feeling to helping you to file the appropriate paperwork, accident and personal injury attorneys make it easy to improve your life. If you are struggling after a car incident, don't feel like you are alone. Reach out to professionals to make sense of your financial situation and your vehicle repair. By making the right changes today, you can improve your entire future for the better.