Slip and fall accidents happen every day. More than one million people go to the emergency room each year for a slip and fall accident. Several potential hazards including slippery surfaces, potholes, unmaintained parking lots, uneven floors, and spills and leaks may cause a slip and fall accident. Some places are more vulnerable for these accidents than others like grocery stores, construction sites, restaurants, and other public places. You may not be aware that the actions you take immediately after an accident can affect your case. Slips and falls can lead to devastating injuries and long-term disabilities. However, you need to ensure that your personal injury case is based on strong evidence and should be well-framed. Here are eight things you can do to protect yourself and your legal rights after a slip and fall accident.

1. Get Your Body Treated Immediately After The Accident

A bad fall can lead to an injury in any part of the body, and even minor symptoms can indicate a bigger problem. No accident is similar and might call for a visit to the doctor immediately. Injuries are determined not only by the circumstances of the accident, but also by age and general condition. Some injuries, which might go unnoticed, can worsen over time and pose serious health issues. A visit to the doctor increases your chances of getting the right medical treatment, identifying the possible injuries and forming the base of filing a personal injury claim.

2. Dial 911 

Call the police and report the accident, even if you don’t think your injuries are serious. A representative will contact you and, after analyzing the accident site, will officially document the accident and create a report. They will question you, the liable party, and any witnesses. In addition, officers look for obvious risks or code violations that may have contributed to the accident. This police report will also be fetched by your lawyer and useful in future lawsuits and insurance claims.

3. Prepare For A Strong Evidence

After the slip event, the first step is to start collecting evidence. Your first question should be- what caused you to trip and fall? For example, uneven levels and poorly maintained railings are the cause of multiple stair accidents. Similarly, if you slipped on a floor, was there evidence of any oil spill, protruding objects or wetness on the floor? Look around. Determine the cause of the fall as soon as possible. If you are not seriously injured and in a position to stand, take pictures of the accident site with your cell phone. When you contact experienced slip and fall lawyers for your case, this evidence will help you with your claim. 

4. Start By Speaking With The Witnesses

Was anyone else present when you slipped and fell? If so, you should approach them to obtain their basic information like name and contact information, so that you can try contacting them in the future. Eyewitness testimony can prove to be very useful while trying to pursue the claim for your case.

5. Keep A Record Ready

Any slip and fall accident can disrupt your normal daily life. You may be struggling with very painful injuries and trying to recover from the physical and emotional pain. Make a list of witnesses and record their information and statements on your phone. 

6. Choose Your Words Wisely

After you slip and fall, your insurance company will try to contact you. They may ask you several questions and try to establish who was at fault when the slip and fall happened. It is best advised to choose your words wisely. You should only feed them with the basic information without going too much into details. Remember, an insurance company is not your friend. They will try to somehow prove your fault so that they can either reduce your coverage amount or maybe, altogether deny your claim. Do not share your thoughts as they can be misrepresented by your insurer against you. Do not allow them to record your call. 

You should trust your attorney and allow them to take the best possible course of action for you.