When negligence plays a role in a fall, you may be able to seek compensation to cover the expenses accrued due to needing medical treatment, missing work and more. After a slip-and-fall accident, it is your first priority to make sure you get the medical attention you need. To do this, you should let the owner of the property, a worker at a store or other person who can record the event know that you have fallen and are going to seek medical care.
While your health does come first, the reason you should let someone know that you’ve been injured is so that you can help make them aware of the hazard and the potential for a claim against their homeowner’s or business insurance. A home or business owner is responsible for maintaining a safe property. If they did not take care of damage on a staircase, ice on a walkway, a broken handrail or other safety issues, then you may be able to pursue a claim for compensation.
What do you need to do when you go to the doctor?
When you go to the doctor for your injuries, whether that’s at your general practitioner’s office, an urgent care or a hospital, you need to let them know that you fell on another person’s property. This won’t change the way in which they diagnose your injuries, but it will help them determine if you need any additional copies of paperwork or specific documents that might be used for insurance claims.
After you are medically stable, you can reach back out to the property owner. You might do this by calling them if they’re a friend or family member, or you could reach out to a local business via email or phone. If you’re not comfortable letting them know that you did seek treatment and will be making a claim, then you may want to have an attorney start this process on your behalf. They can handle the discussion with the other party as well as the insurance company, so you can have the best opportunity to seek the compensation you need.