If you slip and fall at work and it was due to the negligence of someone else, you may be able to receive compensation. If you intend to file a personal injury claim, it is very important to take certain actions when you slip and fall. This will protect you and lay the foundation for a successful claim.
Take care of your injuries
If you slip and fall at work, you need to assess your injuries. Ask a work colleague to go and get a first aid kit if your injuries seem minor. A colleague may need to call an ambulance if your injuries are severe.
Even if your injuries seem to be minor, you should not overlook them. Sometimes it is possible for you to experience symptoms a day or two later. Even if an injury is minor, it needs timely treatment. It is best to be examined by a medical professional no matter how minor an injury may appear to be.
The sooner you contact an experienced attorney to know whether you have the grounds for a successful personal injury claim, the better. If you need an Orlando injury attorney, Kaufman & Lynd is a firm of attorneys with plenty of experience who will be able to give you advice.
Report the accident
Your manager needs to be aware that an accident took place. If you want to claim compensation, this is important. This is simply a question of reporting what took place. You don’t have to blame anyone for the accident.
Get written proof
Organizations are legally required to keep accident books on site. Recording your slip and fall accident is part of the paper trail you may need later. This may be useful in court as, without an accident report, it may just be your word against the word of your manager. If there is no accident book on site or you aren’t allowed access to it, email your manager to serve as proof that you reported the accident.
Take photographs of the scene
If you have photographic evidence to support your claim, management will not be able to assert that the accident never occurred or shirk responsibility for it. Take photos of your injuries and if you are unable to do so, ask a colleague to do this for you. If you can take a video that includes the surrounding areas and what caused your accident, this is even better.
Get witness statements
If any colleagues witnessed your fall, ask if they are willing to provide witness statements. Some of them may fear that coming forward will have repercussions for them. However, many of them will be prepared to help you because they know they could have been in your situation.
Keep records of injuries, symptoms and medical treatments
Your doctor will keep a record but it doesn’t hurt for you to keep one too. This may help in cases where a minor injury that is overlooked turns into a severely debilitating one over time. Your own records can help you to connect your initial injury with symptoms that developed later.
Record other accident-related expenses
Besides your medical expenses, you’re likely to have other expenses, too, such as the cost of traveling to and from doctor’s rooms, the cost of any mobility aids and the cost of hiring home help if necessary. All of these expenses can add up and if you win your case, you could be reimbursed for them as well as any loss of income you have suffered as a result of your injuries.