For most of us, the idea of falling in public is horrifying. Not only can you get hurt – but it’s downright embarrassing. In fact, some people are so embarrassed, they try to brush the accident off like it never happened. After they fall, they take a look around to see if anyone saw them take a dive. If not, they get up and walk away as if everything is okay. They don’t report the fall to management. They don’t go to the hospital. They just pretend it never happened.
This is the worst thing you can do. If you fall in a public place or in a business, you need to report it. Even if the fall seems minor, you could have suffered pretty serious injuries. Some of the injuries you can suffer in a slip and fall include the following:
- Back and neck injuries
- Broken wrist
- Fractured ankle
- Broken bones and bruises
- Broken teeth
There’s also the chance that you could suffer internal injuries, although that is not common in a slip and fall case. Either way, you need to go to the hospital. They can check you out in the emergency room and see if you’re hurt. They’ll run the necessary tests to see what’s wrong with you. This could include MRIs, x-rays or a CT scan. They may also need to run physical and neurological tests. Once they determine how badly you were injured, they’ll recommend a treatment plan. They’ll also make a note in your medical records. You’ll want to contact our Georgia personal injury attorneys right away.
You Need to Report Your Slip and Fall to Management
Immediately after your slip and falls, you need to report it to a manager. They can fill out the necessary forms and make sure it’s documented. They’ll also provide for you to get to the hospital. They’ll call an ambulance and have you taken to the emergency room.
You need to get a copy of this form. Your Augusta personal injury attorney will need this to prove your case. It will also help them negotiate with the insurance company to get your claim paid.
In order to get paid, your injury attorney in Georgia will need to prove negligence. This means they have to demonstrate four (4) things:
- The property owner had a duty of care – this won’t be hard. All property owners need to make sure their premises are clean and safe.
- They breached this duty – This is the hardest part of your case. Your August injury lawyer will need to show they did something that made the store unsafe. This could include anything from proving the floor was wet to documenting loose tiles.
- You were injured – This is why it’s so important that you go to the emergency room. It’s the only way to prove that you were actually hurt.
- Your injuries were caused by the defendant’s breach of duty – As long as you go to the hospital right away, the defendant can’t claim that something other than your fall caused your injuries.
If you can show these four things, you should have a good shot at collecting damages.
There are Certain Things Known to Cause a Slip and Fall
There are some things that are more likely to cause a slip and fall than anything else. For example, if the floor is wet or sticky, it can cause you to fall and get injured. The same is true if the store has a floor that is in need of repair. Some of the other conditions that can cause a slip and fall include the following:
- Something spilled on the floor and the store didn’t clean it up
- There are objects on the floor that don’t belong there
- There is inclement weather and there are not “Wet Floor” or “Caution” signs
If any of these things lead to your slip and fall accident, call and talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer in Augusta right away.
Call and Meet with an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer in Augusta, Georgia
If you’re hurt in a slip and fall accident, you don’t have long to file your claim. In Georgia, you only have two (2) years to file a personal injury lawsuit. This applies to slip and fall cases. You want to give your Augusta personal injury lawyer as much time as possible to file your claim. This is why you should call today and schedule your free initial consultation. Sit down with someone who has handled dozens of cases like yours before. They can give you an idea of what your case is worth. And remember – you don’t pay a dime until your case is settled.