If you were injured in a slip and fall accident, you might be conflicted about what to do. Others might blame you for the accident, accusing you of being clumsy. This is unfair, as many slip and falls are caused by unsafe conditions caused by the property owner’s negligent maintenance. Depending on your situation, you can file a case for damages.
The first thing you should do is call for help if you need it. Some people are injured but still able to get themselves to a hospital. Others might need emergency assistance. In some cases, contacting the police might also be a good idea. While still at the accident scene, take pictures of the area. The hazardous conditions that caused you to fall will likely be cleared away quickly, and we need to preserve evidence of the accident scene. Other evidence might include security camera footage, witness testimony, and objects from the accident location. The best time to start preparing your case is now. Talk to a lawyer as soon as possible.
Get a private case assessment for no charge from our slip and fall lawyers by calling the Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502.
What to Do Immediately After a Slip and Fall Accident in Cicero, IL
The first thing you should do after a slip and fall accident is to call for help. Your injuries might be very painful, and you might be unable to get yourself to a doctor on your own. Call 911 and get emergency medical help sent to your location. You can also call the authorities if necessary.
Slip and fall accidents can lead to painful and devastating injuries, but they are often not large-scale disasters. In many cases, there is minimal damage to the property or premises where the accident occurred. As such, calling the police is not always necessary, especially if the property owner cooperates and tries to help you. However, if you believe the property conditions that caused your accident are so bad as to be criminal, you should consider contacting the police. You should also call the police if the property owner is present at the scene and is hostile, which is not uncommon.
Take lots of photos! The premises where you fell might be full of evidence, but the evidence might disappear after you leave to get medical attention. The property owner may immediately remove or repair the hazards that caused your accident so no others are harmed. Unfortunately, this means that important evidence might be lost. Your photos might help preserve important details.
Finally, call a lawyer. People are sometimes a bit too quick to dismiss their own claims in a slip and fall case. Do not do this to yourself. If you were hurt because of another’s negligence, you deserve justice and fair compensation.
Gathering Evidence to Build a Slip and Fall Accident Case in Cicero, IL
In slip and fall accident cases, a lot of important evidence comes directly from the scene of the accident. Unfortunately, this evidence often disappears. When injured victims leave to get medical care, property owners often take steps to repair or remove the hazards that caused the accident. While this helps prevent others from being hurt, it also erases valuable evidence. As such, our slip and fall lawyers must be very careful about how we obtain evidence.
Evidence From the Scene
Since evidence from the scene of the slip and fall is likely to disappear soon, we must figure out how to preserve what we can. If possible, you should record photos and videos of the area immediately after the fall. It is a good idea to take pictures while waiting for emergency help to arrive. Your photos may preserve the unsafe conditions of the property so we can show them to a jury later.
Depending on where your accident occurred, we might be able to get copies of security camera footage. This is often possible in cases involving businesses or stores. Many businesses, if not most of them, have security cameras in place to prevent things like theft, but they might also record the accident. Video footage might show that you did not cause your own accident and that you fell because of hazards on the premises.
Records
Records related to your accident might also help us prove the defendant’s negligence. Medical records may provide evidence of your injuries and show consistency with a tripping or falling accident. For example, the defendant might argue that your severe injuries were not caused by the fall, but your medical records might indicate that your injuries are consistent with a bad falling accident.
Business records might also be necessary. These kinds of records may be important in a case against a business. For example, business records might reveal how often the premises are cared for. Records might indicate what kind of regular maintenance, if any, is performed and how often. We might find records showing that the premises where you fell had been poorly maintained, leading to hazardous conditions that ultimately injured you.
Witnesses
Witnesses may include people who saw you fall and people who might not have been present at the accident but still have knowledge about the premises. An eyewitness can testify about how they saw you become injured. Their testimony might highlight the fact that you did not fall by your own clumsiness. They can also attest to the presence of hazardous conditions at the time of the accident.
People who are familiar with the property and how it is cared for might also be helpful in your case. For example, employees might know when and how regular maintenance of the premises happens. Their testimony might show a jury that the property was not properly cared for, causing the unsafe conditions.
Call Our Cicero, IL Slip and Fall Attorneys for Legal Support
Get a private case assessment for no charge from our slip and fall lawyers by calling the Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502.
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