What Should I Do If I Am Injured on Someone Else’s Property?

If you have been injured on someone else’s property, you may have a Premises Liability Case.  We know from our clients who have slipped or fallen and injured themselves, these incidents happen fast.  Clients are caught off-guard and find it difficult to recall what exactly happened.  That is why it is important to speak with a Jacksonville Premises Liability Lawyer if you have suffered an injury on someone else’s property.

Preserving Your Premises Liability Claim

To succeed in bringing a premises liability case in Jacksonville, it is vitally important to gather as much evidence as possible while you are at the scene. However, in some situations, our clients are too injured to do much of anything other than wait for the ambulance to arrive. However, if you are not placing yourself in danger of further injuring yourself, here are some things you can do to protect and preserve your potential claim:

• Take photographs of the area of the fall;
• Look for any surveillance cameras in the vicinity of the fall;
• Collect names and contact information for any witnesses;
• Report the injury to the manager;
• If you are asked to fill out a report, request a copy;
• Do not give any recorded statements; and
• Seek immediate medical attention for your injuries.

It is important to preserve the footwear you were wearing at the time of the incident.  If your clothes were stained or torn, keep them safe because they could be used as evidence in your case.  If you have a receipt for your purchase in the store, keep it and make a photocopy of it.  We have had clients who fell in a store but due to embarrassment, they got up and left the store because they did not want to make a big deal out of it.  Later, when they realize they were truly injured, we must prove the client was in the store when they fell.  Receipts help to establish the date and time of the incident.

Recorded or Written Statements

Many businesses will complete some form of incident report after a fall.  In some cases, you never see the report.  The store employee asks you questions and they complete the form.  In other cases, you may be asked to write down what happened.  We caution you to be very general and factual in your description of the incident.  If you know what caused you to fall, state it factually.  However, if you are not sure, we suggest you never guess.  You will be held to your answer and if the case is filed and through the discovery process, we learn the real cause of your fall, your original answer could be used against you.

Seek Medical Attention

Whether you need immediate medical attention will be obvious.  However, you do not need to fracture a bone or lose consciousness to sustain a significant life-changing injury.  Many of our clients report feeling embarrassed after falling.  Despite the pain, they try to make light of the situation to stop the immediate attention focused on them.  Think twice before dismissing an offer to have Rescue come to the scene.  You do not have to ride in the ambulance to the emergency room if you are feeling better by the time emergency personnel arrive.  Ask to sit in a chair and take time to assess your physical situation. 

If you do not feel you need to go to the hospital, consider seeing your PCP or an urgent care clinic to get checked out.  The hope is that you do not have a lasting injury; however, the longer you go between your fall and being seen by a medical professional, the less serious the insurance company will take your injury claim.

If you have been injured on someone else’s property, consider contacting a Jacksonville Premises Liability Lawyer to assist you with your claim.