An accident on another’s property, commonly called a slip and fall, can result in serious injuries and expenses. You may be entitled to lost wages, coverage of your medical bills, and compensation for pain and suffering damages. However, in order to claim this compensation, you must know what to do after a slip and fall accident.

First, you must file an injury claim against the property owner or liable party and then provide evidence of negligence. Proving negligence caused your injuries requires that you can prove someone else was liable for keeping the property safe and that person failed to do so. The following three steps can help you provide this proof and help make your injury claim a valid one.

Step 1: Report the Accident to the Property Owner or Manager

Failing to report your accident to the proper authorities is the best way to lose your opportunity to seek compensation for your injuries. You need to report your injury to the owner or manager of the property as soon as possible so they are aware of the hazard and can take steps to secure the area. The manager should also document the incident and make appropriate reports to his insurance company.

Step 2: Take Photos or Video of the Hazardous Area

Before the property manager can make any corrective actions, you should take pictures or video of the hazardous area. Make sure to show the area around the hazard and exactly what caused your injury. If you can, retrace your steps to the moment before you sustained the injury to document how the accident occurred.

Step 3: Obtain Contact Information from Any Witnesses to Your Accident

If other people saw your accident, they can provide important evidence to support your slip and fall claim. At the very least, get their names and phone numbers so you or your lawyer can contact them later to provide their recount of the accident. If you are already filming the scene, if you can ask them to recount the events while on camera, that can also provide useful as evidence of what happened to cause your injury.

Do Not Talk to the Insurance Company Until You Talk to an Attorney

The property owner’s insurance company may try to contact you immediately to offer a quick settlement and end the claim before it even begins. The initial settlement is rarely enough to compensate for the full extent of your damages, and if you accept the first offer, you usually lose your opportunity to file another claim for damages in the future.

Before you talk to the insurance company, talk to a Fort Lauderdale premises liability attorney about your accident. Attorneys can help you gather the evidence you need to prove you deserve compensation and make sure that you get a fair settlement.

Montero Law Can Help You File Your Injury Claim

When you suffer injuries on another’s property, you have the right to seek compensation through a slip and fall injury claim. Contact Montero Law at 954-767-6500 or fill out our online contact form to tell us more about your accident. We can schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal options for recovering compensation from the liable party.