Slip and Fall Accident Attorney in Georgia

What to Do If You’ve Been Hurt in a Fall

If you’ve been injured in a slip-and-fall accident on someone’s property, take these steps to protect your rights:

• Seek medical attention. Immediately after your slip and fall accident, your health and safety should be your top priority. If you’ve been hurt, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Your doctor will assess the extent of your injuries. The doctor will provide medical treatment to help with your recovery. Seeing a doctor also ensures your injuries are documented. Keep copies of any receipts for prescriptions, treatment and medical equipment such as wheelchairs or crutches.
• Do not miss doctors’ appointments and follow the recommended treatment. If you want to get healthy, follow doctors’ orders. If you establish a pattern of missing appointments or refuse the recommended medical treatment, jurors and insurance adjusters may assume that you weren’t seriously injured.
• Collect evidence. If you’re able, take pictures of the location where you slipped and fell. Also photograph the hazardous conditions that contributed to the incident. Collect names and contact information of anyone who witnessed the slip and fall. If you are unable to document evidence after your injury, have a friend or loved one take photos and gather information for you. If possible, gather this evidence before the hazardous area is fixed or changed.
• Report your accident to the property owner or manager. Immediately report the incident to the property owner, landlord, manager or homeowner of the property where you slipped and fell. If you had to be taken to the hospital for treatment, report the incident as soon as you can. Get a copy of the accident report, if possible, before leaving the accident scene or after you leave the hospital. Your attorney can help you get the accident report, if necessary.
• Write down what happened. While the slip and fall accident is still fresh in your memory, write down what you can remember about the incident. A good rule of thumb is to remember who, what, when, where, why, and how:
  • Who saw the slip and fall?
  • What happened before, during, and after the slip and fall?
  • When did the slip and fall occur?
  • Where did it occur?
  • Why do you think it happened?
  • How did it happen?

Details you can recall may benefit the investigation of your case. For example, you may remember that a stairway was poorly lighted, a handrail was broken, or a puddle of liquid was on the floor. You may also recall whether you saw warning signs in the area.

• Maintain a folder for important documents. Make sure you keep track of all documents involved in your slip and fall case. Those documents include copies of medical expenses, receipts, prescriptions, accident reports, and letters from insurance companies. You may also have employment records that show how much time you have missed from work because of your injuries. Keep these documents organized in a folder.
• Don’t speak with the property owner’s insurer. You might be contacted soon after your accident by the property owner’s insurance company or another representative of the store or business where the slip and fall happened. The goal of those representatives is to save money. That is done by minimizing your financial recovery. You should decline to give any statements to those representatives. Refer them instead to your lawyer who will protect your rights and recovery.
• Stay off social media. Do not share information about your slip and fall accident and injuries on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media platform. Statements you make about your slip and fall accident could be used against you in the future.
• Speak with an experienced Georgia slip and fall injury lawyer. Discuss your case with an experienced attorney. Georgia law in this area is complicated, and if a case is not handled correctly, the court can throw the case out before it reaches a jury. A smart lawyer can minimize the chances of something going wrong with your claim.