Take photos!
Ice and snow melt away quickly. Puddles from spills and leaks will probably be cleaned up right away by the building management after someone slips and falls. (Too bad they didn’t clean it up before you were injured!) If your injuries prevent you from taking photos have someone do it for you. It is important to capture the entire accident scene, not just the dangerous condition. Show the whole area in the photos including the fact that there were no warning signs.
Look for security cameras.
If you see a security camera in the area, take a photo of it. It is possible that the security camera captured your accident. Hopefully the security footage also shows when the dangerous condition was created, or how long it was present before it caused you to fall. One of the reasons it is so important to contact Tomkiel & Tomkiel immediately for a free consultation is that we can serve the landlord with a Notice to Preserve Video Footage. Very often the security video footage records over itself or auto-deletes after a week. Don’t wait! Learn how to protect your claim.
Make an accident report.
The biggest mistake in a slip and fall accident is failing to report it immediately. If the police or an ambulance are not called, it is important to document your injury with the property owner. Ask the store manager or the building super to make a report of what happened and to document that you were injured. Make sure to list each body part where you are feeling pain as a result of the accident. Anybody who saw the dangerous condition that caused you to fall is an important witness, even if they did not see the accident itself. Make sure their names are on the accident report.
Get medical attention immediately.
Everybody hates the emergency room. However, if you wait several days to deal with that aching pain, the insurance company and their lawyers will use it against you. You must document your injuries as soon as possible in order to protect yourself if you are more seriously injured than you thought at first.
Contact Tomkiel & Tomkiel for a free consultation.
Protect yourself and your family by learning what legal steps need to be taken in order to preserve evidence and establish your claim. The insurance company will be working against you as soon as they learn of the claim. Don’t delay.