What to Do After a ‘Slip and Fall’ Accident in Pennsylvania

If you’ve been involved in a slip and fall accident in Pennsylvania, it’s important to protect your legal rights regarding injury liability. Follow these steps from some of Pennsylvania’s most trusted injury lawyers to ensure you are cared for in case of a slip and fall accident.

Step 1: Seek Appropriate Medical Treatment

First and foremost, seek appropriate medical care if you have been injured as a result of a slip & fall personal injury accident. If you are injured and cannot move, or believe that you may have been seriously injured, ask for help and wait for assistance. If you believe the accident may have been the fault of the property owner or other responsible entity, then you need to have documentation that you were actually injured and sought appropriate and reasonable medical treatment.

Your medical records will be a primary indication of just how seriously you were injured. If you believe medical treatment is necessary, or you have medical questions, it is always better to seek the appropriate medical care to document the specific extent and sometimes cause of your injuries. It can harm a personal injury lawsuit if an injured victim does not timely receive medical care.

Step 2: Have Pictures Taken Of The Accident Scene ASAP

Second, have pictures of the accident scene taken immediately if possible. Use a cell phone if necessary, but digital cameras are better. Ask a friend or family member to take pictures for you if necessary. ‘Slip & Fall’ personal injury cases in Pennsylvania can be very difficult to win without photographs showing the dangerous or hazardous condition which existed. Whether it is a hole in the sidewalk or elevations and ridges of ice which caused your injury, your chances of success increase dramatically if you are able to show pictures to a jury of a dangerous condition.

Jurors are very skeptical about slip and fall accident cases. A picture can speak a thousand words when trying to prove that it was not your fault that you fell. Photograph the scene and pay attention to detail and your surroundings. Were there any warnings? Any witnesses? If the scene changes, and you do not have photographs, your chances of success decline.

Step 3: Notify The Property Owner And/Or Manager Asap.

Third, it is always best to notify the property owner or property manager as soon as possible after a slip and fall accident. This will not only protect other individuals who may be visiting this property, but it should also create an incident report for your specific case. Ideally, it may even prompt the property owner to photograph the accident scene for you. If there is an employee that can be notified at the scene, it will create an additional witness to both the area involved and to the extent of your actual injuries.

It can be very persuasive if an employee for the defendant witnesses your pain and injuries. If you are unable to immediately notify the property owner or responsible party, follow up as soon as practical thereafter. By making a timely claim, it should notify the insurance carrier for the property and will help you in proving both liability and damages

If you have been involved in a slip and fall accident in Pennsylvania, get in contact with Flaherty & Fardo, the area’s most trusted accident lawyers. We offer free consultations and can help you take the first steps in getting the justice you deserve.