Things Not to Do, After a Slip and Fall Accident

If you fall inside of someone’s property, your first concern is probably your own health and safety. You will likely be filled with adrenaline, mixed with some fear and panic. It may be hard to sit there and think about what you should or should not do, and it is understandable to make mistakes in the moments after your fall.

But hopefully, by reading some things that you should not do now, these things may stick in your head so that in the unfortunate event that a fall does happen, you can avoid making some common mistakes that people who suffered slip and fall accidents usually make.

Just leaving the scene – It does happen that people fall inside someone else’s property, and they are, at the time, able to get up, brush themselves off, and walk off. They may be in pain, or have an obvious injury, but they can, and often do, just leave.

This is a very bad idea. If you don’t tell the property owner about what happened, there is no record of it happening, because nobody who works there has made any record. They do not know how to take pictures, or to interview witnesses. They don’t see you injured at the time of the fall.

There is also the assumption that people who don’t report accidents, couldn’t be that injured. So, your walking out without reporting the accident is seen by the Defendant as an indication that you can’t be all that hurt.

Don’t Assume Facts – If you do make a report to the store, they may ask you a lot of questions about what happened. Some of these questions may be questions that you do not, or could not know. For example, “how big was the spill on the floor,” or “how fast were you walking” or “when did you see the object you fell on,” may be asked of you. These are precise, detailed questions that most of us would not know. It is better to say you don’t know, than to just guess.

Ignoring Medical Attention – Whether you get attention immediately, in an emergency room, or later, with your doctor, you should get medical attention—even if your injuries seem “minor.” Often, things that feel minor, turn into bigger problems later.

Aside from the obvious medical benefits, the longer you wait to get medical attention, the more the Defendant, an insurance company, or a jury, will assume that you “must not have been that injured.”

Don’t Throw Away Clothes – Your clothes (including shoes) are possible evidence in your case. Even if they’re dirty or bloodied—preserve your clothes—in fact, don’t even wash them, as the other side may want to, and they have the right to look at the clothes you were wearing during your fall. You don’t want to be accused of destroying evidence in your case.

Most mistakes are made when accident victims go without a good injury attorney. Don’t make that mistake. Call the Knoxville personal injury attorneys at Fox Farley Willis & Burnette, PLLC, today.

Sources:

findlaw.com/legalblogs/personal-injury/physical-evidence-to-keep-for-a-slip-and-fall-case/

content.next.westlaw.com/practical-law/document/I0fa034abef0811e28578f7ccc38dcbee/Spoliation?viewType=FullText&transitionType=De