Best Slip and Fall Attorney Advice: What to Do in the First 24 Hours After a Fall

The first 24 hours after a serious fall can affect both your health and your ability to prove what happened. The best slip and fall attorney https://www.bojatlaw.com/slip-and-fall-lawyer-los-angeles/ will want to know whether the dangerous condition was documented, whether the incident was reported, and whether medical treatment began promptly.

Slip and fall cases can become difficult when a property owner repairs the hazard, surveillance footage disappears, or the injured person has no photographs showing the condition that caused the accident. Taking the right steps early can help protect important evidence.

Get Medical Attention for Serious Injuries

Your health should come first.

Falls can cause injuries involving the:

• Head and brain
• Neck
• Back and spine
• Shoulders
• Wrists and hands
• Hips
• Knees
• Ankles

Some injuries are immediately obvious. Others may become more noticeable after the shock of the accident begins to wear off.

Seek emergency care when the injuries are serious. Even when an ambulance is not necessary, do not ignore significant pain, dizziness, weakness, difficulty walking, or other symptoms.

Medical records can also help document when symptoms began and what injuries were identified after the fall.

Take Photographs Before the Hazard Disappears

The condition that caused a fall may not remain in place for long.

A spill can be cleaned. A broken step can be repaired. Merchandise can be moved. A warning sign can be added after the accident.

When possible, take photographs and videos of:

• The exact location of the fall
• The condition that caused it
• The surrounding area
• Lighting conditions
• Warning signs or the absence of warnings
• Your clothing and shoes
• Visible injuries

Take both close up and wide angle photographs.

A close photograph may show the hazard itself, while a wider photograph can show where the condition was located in relation to entrances, aisles, stairs, walkways, or other areas.

Report the Fall to the Property Owner or Manager

Report the incident before leaving the property when you are physically able to do so.

Depending on the location, this may mean notifying:

• A store manager
• A restaurant employee
• A building owner
• A landlord
• A hotel manager
• A security officer
• A property management company

Ask that an incident report be created.

Give accurate information about what happened, but avoid guessing about details you do not know. You do not need to speculate about exactly how long a dangerous condition existed or who caused it.

Ask for a copy of the report or information about how to obtain one.

Get the Names of Witnesses

Witnesses can become difficult to locate after everyone leaves the scene.

A witness may have seen:

• The dangerous condition before the fall
• How the accident happened
• Employees walking past the hazard
• A lack of warning signs
• What you said immediately after falling
• Your condition after the accident

Ask witnesses for their names and contact information.

Do not assume that a business will identify every witness for you later.

Look for Surveillance Cameras

Many slip and fall accidents occur in places with surveillance systems.

Possible locations include:

• Grocery stores
• Retail stores
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Apartment buildings
• Parking structures
• Office buildings

Look around the area and note whether cameras appear to face the location where you fell.

Do not assume the footage will be kept indefinitely. Some systems automatically record over older video.

An attorney may need to act quickly to request that relevant surveillance footage and other evidence be preserved.

Keep the Shoes and Clothing You Were Wearing

Do not throw away or alter the shoes you wore during the accident.

A property owner or insurance company may later argue that your footwear contributed to the fall. Preserving the shoes in their original condition can prevent confusion about what you were wearing.

The same may apply to torn or blood stained clothing.

Keep these items in a safe place. Avoid cleaning, repairing, or changing them when they could become relevant evidence.

Write Down Exactly What You Remember

Memories can fade quickly.

Within the first 24 hours, write down:

• Where you were walking
• What caused you to fall
• Whether you saw the hazard beforehand
• What happened immediately after the fall
• What employees or witnesses said
• Whether anyone apologized
• Whether anyone mentioned prior complaints
• Where you felt pain

Keep the notes private and accurate.

Do not exaggerate or add details you are unsure about. The purpose is to preserve your memory while the event is still fresh.

Avoid Giving a Recorded Statement Too Quickly

The property owner's insurance company may contact you soon after the accident.

You may be asked to provide a recorded statement about:

• How the fall happened
• Where you were looking
• What shoes you were wearing
• Whether you had previous injuries
• How much pain you are experiencing

Be cautious about giving detailed statements before you understand the full circumstances of the claim.

A person who has just been injured may not yet know the extent of the injuries or have all the information needed to explain what happened accurately.

You can consider speaking with a personal injury attorney before giving a recorded statement.

Do Not Post About the Accident on Social Media

Insurance companies may review public social media activity.

Avoid posting photographs, videos, or detailed comments about:

• The fall
• Your injuries
• Medical treatment
• Physical activities
• Travel
• Settlement discussions

A post can be taken out of context.

For example, a single photograph showing you smiling does not prove you are not injured, but an insurance company may still try to use it to challenge the claim.

It is often safer to keep information about the accident and your recovery private while the case is pending.

Understand Why the First 24 Hours Matter

A slip and fall case may depend heavily on evidence showing what condition existed at the time of the accident.

Important questions may include:

• What caused the fall?
• How long had the condition been present?
• Did the property owner know about it?
• Should the property owner have discovered it?
• Were adequate warnings provided?
• Was the condition repaired immediately afterward?

The sooner the evidence is identified and preserved, the easier it may be to investigate these issues.

Waiting can create problems when video disappears, witnesses cannot be located, or the property changes.

Contact the Best Slip and Fall Attorney for Your Case

The best slip and fall attorney for your case should know how to investigate dangerous property conditions, preserve surveillance footage, obtain incident reports, interview witnesses, review medical evidence, and deal with insurance companies.

Bojat Law Group represents people injured in slip and fall accidents and other premises liability cases throughout Southern and Central California. The firm also handles car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian accidents, Uber and L yft accidents, catastrophic injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and wrongful death cases.

Bojat Law Group has recovered more than $100 million for clients and offers free consultations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Call Bojat Law Group at (818) 877-4878 to discuss your slip and fall case. There is No Win No Fee, which means you pay no attorney fee unless compensation is recovered.

This release was published on openPR.