You may be at work, the grocery store, a department store, or commercial business when you suddenly find yourself on the ground and in pain. Not only is slipping and falling embarrassing and painful, but it can also be a confusing time. Do you know what to do following a fall? Unfortunately, many people make the wrong choices immediately following a slip and fall accident or in the days after. In order to avoid making critical mistakes that could harm your injury claim, Mallard Perez wants to share with you 10 things to avoid doing after a slip and fall accident.

  1. Don’t fail to report the slip and fall accident to the manager – Many people are embarrassed and want to leave the store or premises immediately. Instead of doing that, make sure you report the accident to the appropriate person. Also, ask the manager for a copy of the incident report.
  2. Don’t say I’m sorry – Many people automatically say I’m sorry after an accident—even though it might not be their fault. Resist the urge to apologize until you know whose fault the accident really was.
  3. Don’t forget to speak with any witnesses – If there were people around when you fell, ask them for their contact information in case they need to make a statement to help you prove your injury claim.
  4. Don’t fail to collect evidence – If you have a cell phone on you, take pictures of the hazard that caused you to fall. Take close-up pictures and photographs from further away to help prove your slip and fall case.
  5. Don’t ignore your pain – If you are seriously injured, call for paramedics. If you have some slight pain, it is still in your best interest to go to the hospital to receive a medical examination. If you don’t want to go to the hospital, make sure you see your primary care doctor as soon as possible.
  6. Don’t skip doctor’s appointments or physical therapy sessions – The insurance company will be looking at everything you do following a slip and fall accident to show that you aren’t as badly injured as you say you are. If you fail to follow your doctor’s orders or skip out on appointments, they may use this to lower your claim amount.
  7. Don’t provide the insurance company with a recorded statement – Insurers will ask you to provide them with a recorded statement of what happened. Although this sounds innocent, they will use anything you say against you to help limit their liability and lower the amount of money they have to pay you.
  8. Don’t sign any documents the insurance company is requesting you to sign – You are not obligated to sign a medical release form or any other form the insurance company is requesting you to sign. Doing so may be harmful to your case.
  9. Don’t accept a settlement offer without speaking with a slip and fall lawyer –Insurance companies know that you may not know how much your injury claim is worth. Sometimes, they will rush in with a quick settlement offer—hoping you will accept it before speaking with an attorney.
  10. Don’t fail to hire a premises liability lawyer – If you have suffered an injury following a slip and fall accident, it is in your best interests to hire a skilled attorney who will know what your case is worth and will fight to get you fair compensation.

It’s already bad when falling in public—make sure you don’t make things worse with these slip and fall mishaps. Because we don’t want to see anyone make these critical mistakes, we encourage you to share this article on Facebook or Twitter so that others will know what to do and not do after a slip and fall accident.

Damian Mallard, Esq.
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Board Certified Sarasota Personal Injury Attorney