Top 5 Must-Do Steps After a Slip-and-Fall in Brooklyn, NY
5 Things To Do After a Trip-and-Fall or Slip-and-Fall Accident in New York
Today, anyone can be a victim of a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident in a store, an office, on a street, a playground, or even at school. Oftentimes, these accidents are caused by the negligence of the owner of the premises or its tenant, resulting in sidewalks that fall in disrepair, icy walkways, and slippery floors.
If you have been injured because of someone else’s negligence, you might be eligible for compensation, but dealing with a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident can be overwhelming and stressful. Luckily we’ve provided a list of 5 of the most important things to do to assemble a strong case and get the compensation you deserve.
1. Take Photographs
One of the most crucial steps in proving your personal injury premises case is documenting the location of your accident by taking photographs and videos of the scene of the accident, and the defect that caused you to trip and fall or slip and fall. Not only will this help your attorney understand where the incident, but it will also help establish who is responsible for the dangerous condition.
There have been instances, especially on Boardwalks when the City of New York would perform repairs of the dangerous condition, few days or weeks after an accident, and if the photographs of the location and the defect were not timely taken it would be difficult to prove exactly what caused the fall.
To avoid this happening to you, make sure to take multiple clear pictures of the scene immediately, or if you are unable due to injuries, have a friend or someone near you do it for you.
2. Identify Witnesses
Most, if not all, slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall incidents take place in public settings, meaning there are most likely other people there who could have witnessed the accident. You must talk to the witnesses and get their contact information immediately because it is highly probable you won’t bump into them again, and they can aid in confirming the cause of your injury.
The argument often arises by the defense that plaintiff’s accident was unwitnessed, so how can the injured person prove that this is where he or she fell?
Forwarding all your witnesses’ information to your personal injury attorney as soon as possible is another crucial step in being able to use their recollection of the accident in your case. Memories tend to be short-lived and less in detail as more time passes.
To get the most thorough account of what happened, your personal injury attorney must contact the witnesses within days of the slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident. If nobody was present to witness your accident, but you were picked up by ambulance, make sure the attorney obtains the ambulance report, which would have the location of where you were picked up to help establish the case.
3. Seek Medical Attention
Your safety is the number one priority. Slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall accidents can cause severe short-term and long-term injuries, including bleeding, fractures, and even brain trauma. No matter how small your injuries may seem, it is imperative that, at the least, you get a check-up at your nearest health center or hospital. Additionally, receiving medical care may provide more benefits than you think.
Aside from ensuring your safety after an accident, visiting a physician and following their medical plan consistently can help prove that you sustained a significant injury because of a property owner’s negligence. Every doctor’s appointment, follow-up, and physical therapy session will be recorded and used to confirm the extent of your injury.
Refusing treatment can ultimately reduce the compensation you receive by allowing the defendant to argue that your injury was only severe because you allowed it to worsen and did not seek medical care.
4. Identify the Location
Whether or not you qualify for compensation for your accident depends on the exact location of where you tripped or fell or slipped and fell. Knowing if you fell on a sidewalk or curb may affect which party, City of New York or private entity, will be responsible for your accident.
If you’ve been a victim of a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall incident, make sure to write down the full address of where the accident took place and pass it on to a personal injury attorney who can determine who is negligent.
5. Call the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo for a Free Consultation
Now that you have collected all the essential pieces to build a winning case, the final step is to find a skilled personal injury lawyer to guide you through the legal procedures and fight for you in Court.
The attorneys at the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo are dedicated to providing exceptional legal counseling for individuals injured in a slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accident in New York.
Our experienced lawyers can help you protect your rights to obtain damages after being injured due to someone else’s negligence. Schedule a free consultation with us by calling (800) 560-0214.
But don’t wait. Failure to file a claim against an entity in a timely manner can result in you losing yourright to personal injury compensation.
We don’t know how long you have left to file a claim until we hear the specific facts of your case.
Contact us at the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo at (800) 560-0214 to get the reimbursement you deserve.
