Top 6 Steps to Take After a Slip or Trip and Fall Accident Injury:
- Assess Your Injuries
- Seek Medical Treatment
- Take Photographs or Videos
- Gather Contact Information From Any Witnesses
- Contact an Experienced and Proven Slip/Trip and Fall Lawyer
- File an Insurance Claim With the Help of Your Personal Injury Lawyer
A slip or trip and fall accident is one of the most common types of claims under personal injury law. And although slip/trip and fall incidents might not seem like they could cause major harm, in many cases victims actually suffer a variety of serious injuries, including broken and fractured bones, concussion, spinal cord injury, and more.
When you’re injured in a slip/trip and fall as a result of negligence or carelessness, a personal injury lawsuit can often be the best means of recovering much-needed financial compensation for things like hospital and medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional trauma (among others).
In the sections below, we will review Martinian & Associates’ Top 6 Steps to Take After a Slip or Trip and Fall Accident. We’ll also look at what types of damages may be recovered in a slip/trip and fall or premises liability civil lawsuit, review some common injuries that may result after such an incident, and discus how to file a claim within the California statute of limitations to ensure that your opportunity at justice and maximum financial compensation is preserved.
What Should I Do After a Slip or Trip and Fall Accident?
A slip or trip and fall accident can occur when you least expect it. Whether you’re at the grocery store, at work, shopping in a public area, or at a hotel or casino, slip/trip and fall accidents occur each and every day. When you suffer an injury due to negligence on the part of the property owner or manager, you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation. But to ensure that your opportunity to recover a maximum damages award is not adversely impacted, there are certain steps that you should take after suffering a slip or trip and fall injury.
Let’s take a look at the Top 6 Steps to Take After a Slip or Trip and Fall Accident Injury:
1. Assess Your Injuries: Unfortunately, many slip/trip and fall injuries are not immediately apparent. As an injured victim, you may not experience symptoms right away, whether due to shock or latency. Accordingly, it’s important to remain still and assess the extent of any possible trauma. If you’re clearly injured, call 911 immediately and wait for first responders to arrive. If you don’t believe you’ve suffered a serious injury, however, it’s still recommended that you call the paramedics to ensure that you undergo a thorough examination as soon as possible. This leads into step number two.
2. Seek Medical Treatment: Whether you have a visible broken bone or simply a sore back after a slip or trip and fall accident, it’s always recommended that you seek an immediate medical examination. Your health and well-being are the top priorities, and an examination by a licensed physician will help ensure that any indistinguishable injuries do not progress or worsen. Furthermore, a medical examination establishes a record of your injuries. Such medical documentation can be invaluable if you ultimately decide (or need to) pursue a civil claim for financial compensation. Sadly, many legitimate slip or trip and fall accidents that could entitle victims to financial compensation have to be denied by personal injury lawyers because the injured parties never sought medical care immediately after the incidents. If, for example, you decide to seek medical treatment weeks or months after a slip/trip and fall accident, the defendant will almost certainly attempt to deny any negligence and suggest that if your injury were indeed due to the slip/trip and fall incident, you would have required immediate medical care. Moreover, the defendant can argue that your injury was only minor immediately after the slip/trip and fall, and because you failed to seek medical treatment it therefore progressed. It’s important to remember that the negligent party in a slip or trip and fall accident – whether a property owner, management company, or private homeowner – will almost certainly do everything in their power to minimize liability (responsibility). Hence, undergoing an immediate medical examination after a slip or trip and fall accident is absolutely essential if you wish to pursue a civil lawsuit towards maximum financial compensation.
3. Take Photographs or Videos: While this is often easier said than done – particularly if you’ve suffered a serious injury – gathering evidence to support your claim can be critical. If you’re with someone when the accident occurs, ask him or her to take photos and videos of the scene – specifically any water, debris, or another type of dangerous condition which may have caused the incident. Additionally, take pictures and videos of your injuries – and remember that no injury is too small after a slip or trip and fall accident. Furthermore, it’s always a good idea to take notes (or record a voice/video message to yourself) detailing how the slip/trip and fall accident occurred, what you were doing, whether anyone saw the incident, etc. Doing so while the accident is still fresh in your mind is strongly encouraged.
4. Gather Contact Information From Any Witnesses: Again, while this may seem like a difficult order if you’re sprawled out on your back following a slip and fall, witness statements can help corroborate your claim and ensure that you recover the maximum financial compensation you deserve. If you’re injured too severely to move (and always err on the side of caution in this regard), try to ask a friend or someone nearby for help in gathering witness contact information (including name, address, phone number, email, and any other preferred method of contact).
5. Contact an Experienced and Proven Slip/Trip and Fall Lawyer: While this step comes in at number five, it is certainly one of the most important in the sense that choosing the best personal injury attorney can be the difference between a fast settlement that leaves you with mounting medical bills and a maximized settlement that ensures you make a total recovery – physically, emotionally, and even financially. When searching for a qualified and proven slip or trip and fall lawyer, be sure to ask about his or her win/loss record, number of years in practice, past results, client testimonials, and whether or not they are willing/prepared to take your case to trial if necessary. Additionally, before making any type of statement, contacting your insurance company, or admitting any type of partial fault for the accident, be sure to speak with your slip or trip and fall lawyer for a free consultation. The team of dedicated and proven slip/trip and fall lawyers at Martinian & Associates is led by Tigran Martinian, an aggressive and results-oriented attorney with more than 25 years of experience helping injured victims like you secure the maximum financial compensation they deserve. Moreover, it’s important to remember that securing hard to quantify damages like pain and suffering or emotional trauma after a slip or trip and fall accident requires a skilled and experienced lawyer. Accordingly, don’t settle for anything but the best after your slip or trip and fall accident injury.
6. File an Insurance Claim With the Help of Your Personal Injury Lawyer: After your health and well-being have been attended to, and your attorney has been hired and is working hard on your case, it’s important to file a claim with the appropriate insurance carrier. Depending on the circumstances of your slip or trip and fall accident, this could be the property owner’s or manager’s insurance provider, or the homeowner’s insurance carrier if the incident occurred at a private residence. Speaking to the at-fault party’s insurance carrier without an experienced attorney is never recommended. Insurance carriers are in business to make money, and that means reducing your claim whenever possible – regardless of the severity of your injuries. Having a proven Martinian & Associates attorney fighting in your corner will help ensure that your legal rights are protected and your chance at maximum financial compensation is preserved.
How Long Do I Have to File a California Slip or Trip and Fall Accident Injury Claim?
The California statute of limitations for most personal injury civil claims is two years from the date of an incident. In other words, you most likely have two years from the date that your slip or trip and fall accident injury occurred to file a claim seeking financial compensation.
However, the experienced lawyers at Martinian & Associates strongly encourage any injured slip/trip and fall accident victim to file a claim as soon as possible to increase the chances of obtaining justice in the form of a maximum financial damages award. Additionally, claims filed against government or public entities often have a much shorter statute of limitations – sometimes only six months. Given the varying statutes of limitations for slip/trip and fall accident claims, it’s recommended that you reach out to an experienced and dedicated attorney immediately after suffering an injury.
Furthermore, waiting to file a lawsuit may affect your chance of obtaining financial compensation for your injuries, and a delayed claim can often result in a reduced financial damages award.
What Damages May be Recovered in a Slip or Trip and Fall Accident Lawsuit?
When a slip or trip and fall accident occurs, a civil claim may be filed on behalf of the injured victim in pursuit of various financial damages. The types of damages that may be recovered as a victim of a slip or trip and fall accident can typically encompass three categories:
- Economic
- Non-economic
- Punitive
The specific damages that you may recover after a slip or trip and fall accident injury will vary depending on the unique circumstances of the incident. The damages you ultimately recover through your slip or trip and fall accident claim may depend on the following:
- The severity of your injuries
- Whether or not you sought medical treatment immediately
- The extent of liability on the part of the property owner or management company
- The at-fault party’s history of negligence or carelessness leading to injuries/accidents
These are just a few factors that can determine what types of damages you may be able to secure (as well as the total value of your slip or trip and fall accident claim).
The most common examples of slip or trip and fall accident injury damages are broken down below according to type.
·California Slip or Trip and Fall Accident Economic Damages:
- Medical expenses
- Emergency department treatment
- Physical Therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Lost Wages
- Lost Earning Capacity
·California Slip or Trip and Fall Accident Non-Economic Damages:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
- Reduced quality of life
- Scarring or other serious injury
- Compensation for loss of a limb or disfigurement
Punitive damages for slip/trip and fall accidents are in a separate class, and are typically only recoverable in cases where an at-fault party demonstrates overt recklessness or disregard for human safety.
As an example, if the property or management company at a casino where you suffered a slip and fall accident injury demonstrated a pattern of wanton disregard for public safety (i.e. multiple accidents leading to injuries, multiple claims against the defendant, etc.), the experienced slip/trip and fall lawyers from Martinian & Associates would likely pursue punitive damages on your behalf.
Martinian & Associates pursues punitive damages in all applicable slip or trip and fall accident cases. Moreover, it’s important for injured victims to remember that punitive damages are not capped in the state of California.
What are Some Common Types of Slip or Trip and Fall Accident Injuries?
Slip or trip and falls can lead to a range of injuries that vary in type and severity, regardless of whether they occur at grocery stores, hotels, casinos, Airbnb properties, workplaces, or private homes. Some of the more common types of slip or trip and fall accident injuries we encounter at Martinian & Associates include:
- Back injuries
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injury
- Broken or fractured bones
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Concussion (MTBI)
- Torn ligaments
- Catastrophic injury
- Paralysis
- Death
The extent of your trip or slip and fall accident injuries may impact the total amount of financial compensation recovered. For example, more serious injuries requiring long-term medical care and recovery time may warrant more significant cash settlement awards.
To learn more about how much your Los Angeles, California, slip or trip and fall accident injury claim may be worth, contact a lawyer from Martinian & Associates Personal Injury Division today at 323-850-1900 for a free, confidential, and no obligation consultation. When you sit down with a Martinian & Associates slip/trip and fall accident lawyer for a free consultation, we’ll review the facts of your case, provide an estimate for how long it may take to reach a settlement, and provide an estimate for how much your financial damages award may be worth.
Do I Need a Los Angeles Slip/Trip and Fall Accident Lawyer?
One of the most common questions from injured victims that we encounter at Martinian & Associates is:
“Do I really need to hire a personal injury/slip and fall lawyer?”
If you’ve been injured in a slip or trip and fall accident at a hotel, casino, or grocery store due to negligence, you may be entitled to a maximum cash settlement to help cover various types of damages (such as hospital or medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more).
But recovering the maximum financial compensation you truly deserve for your trip/slip and fall accident injury claim is not automatically guaranteed. In fact, the right slip and fall lawyer can make a world of difference in terms of the total financial compensation you receive.
In most cases, a skilled and experienced personal injury lawyer is necessary to help prove difficult to quantify damages such as emotional trauma or pain and suffering. And that’s where the Martinian & Associates team can help. We have over 25 years of experience representing injured slip or trip and fall victims like you and securing maximum financial damages awards. To date, attorney Tigran Martinian and his associates have secured more than $100,000,000 in settlements and verdicts for injured clients.
If you’ve suffered any type of slip or trip and fall injury – regardless of the ostensible severity – don’t settle for anything less than the Martinian & Associates Advantage. We will fight aggressively and strategically to recover you the largest possible cash settlement based on the circumstances of your unique claim.
Contact one of our slip or trip and fall accident attorneys today at 323-850-1900 for a free, confidential, and no obligation consultation.
Martinian & Associates is a leading California slip/trip and fall, premises liability, and personal injury firm. And when you choose us, you never have to worry about upfront costs or out-of-pocket expenses. We won’t charge a penny until after successfully securing maximum financial compensation for your claim.
Reach out to a member of the Martinian & Associates team today to learn more.
