What Mistakes To Avoid After A Slip And Fall?

If you faced an injury from a slip and fall accident due to someone else’s negligence, you will be able to ask for compensation. However, this fully depends on the actions that you take immediately after the incident.

The first thing you must do is to contact an accident lawyer. Basically, a seasoned Toronto slip and fall lawyer will be able to guide you through the process. However, if you make critical missteps, even the best lawyers will not be able to undo them.

Before you know what to do after a slip and fall accident, it is more important to know what you must not do. Read on to get a better idea of what not to do after a slip and fall accident.

What Not to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident? – Simple Steps

The following are the things you must avoid doing after a slip and fall accident:

Do Not Delay Medical Attention

Most people who face a slip and fall accident make a major mistake of not seeking medical care instantly. Primarily, your injuries might seem minor at first. However, if you somehow receive internal damage or a soft tissue injury, it might not be apparent at the start.

Hence, if you wait for too long to contact a doctor and do a checkup, you will end up risking your health. Also, it weakens your case if someone is really responsible for the accident. In those cases, your insurance company might argue that your injuries were not serious. Also, they might show that your injury was not related to the fall.

Do Not Fail to Report the Incident

Many people make the error of walking away from the scene without notifying anyone. It does not matter whether you slipped in a grocery store, on a public sidewalk, or at a friend’s house. You must always report the fall to the property owner, manager, or appropriate authority.

Moreover, get a written report and maintain a copy for your records. Without this documentation, proving the fall occurred might be much more difficult.

Do Not Forget to Collect Evidence

In general, most slip and fall cases face denial due to a lack of documentation. Hence, if you are physically able, take some photo evidence of the scene after the fall.

Apart from that, focus on the hazard that caused the accident. In those cases, the reason might be a wet floor, uneven surface, or poor lighting.

In addition to that, obtain the names and contact information of any witnesses who witnessed the incident. This is because these details might disappear quickly. Also, these shall be pivotal in your claim.

Do Not Give Recorded Statements Too Soon

Insurance adjusters mostly reach out quickly after an incident. This is because they hope to get a recorded statement.

However, always resist the urge to speak on record before consulting a lawyer. In fact, your words might be used against you later. Basically, insurance companies do this to discredit your account or downplay your injuries.

Moreover, when you are informing, always stick to the facts. Also, do not speculate about what happened or who was at fault.

Do Not Post on Social Media

At the start, you might feel the urge to share your experience with friends and family online. However, posting on social media might damage your case. In most cases, insurance companies and defense attorneys mostly scour public profiles for evidence. Thereby, they undermine claims.

For instance, a seemingly innocent photo or comment might be misinterpreted. In this case, your opposition might suggest that you are not as injured as you claim to be. Hence, you must try to avoid posting altogether until your case is fully resolved.

Do Not Ignore Legal Deadlines

Interestingly, statutes of limitations bind personal injury lawsuits. Hence, do not wait for too long to take legal action. Otherwise, you might lose the right to file a claim entirely.

Apart from that, every jurisdiction has its time limits. Therefore, you must always consult with a lawyer promptly to ensure your rights are fully protected.

Be Careful and Act Thoughtfully

What you don’t do after a slip and fall will surely hurt your case as much as what you do. In fact, from delaying medical care to oversharing online, small missteps will have big consequences.

Hence, you must act thoughtfully and get legal guidance early. This way, you will have the best chance of a successful outcome.