10 Tips to Follow after a Slip and Fall at a Florida Supermarket
In the U.S., slip and falls are the second leading cause of injuries and are the cause of over 15,000 deaths each year. An injury or death from a slip and fall, or a trip and fall, are oftentimes caused by a dangerous condition left to remain on a floor of a business open to the public, such as water on the aisles of neighborhood supermarkets, for an unreasonable period of time. Below are 10 tips to follow after a slip and fall at a supermarket where an injury is sustained.
1. Seek medical attention right away. If you are injured, don't tough it out, request an ambulance to transport you to a hospital to get checked out. If you do not wish to go to a hospital or have an ambulance summoned, immediately ask a friend or relative to bring you to an urgent care center to have your injury examined.
2. Determine what caused you to fall. Look around the area where you landed for water or other substances on the floor. Look at your clothing for water or stains. If you have a camera phone, take a couple photographs. Better yet, if you are with a friend or relative, have your friend or relative take a couple photographs of the scene, your clothing and any injuries you may have. If you fell over an object, retain the object if you can. If not, take photographs of the object which caused you to fall. If your clothing has oil stains on them, food, etc., do not wash them, but put them in a bag as your clothing will be physical evidence to be used at trial.
3. Jot down, or have a friend or relative jot down the names and telephone numbers of any witnesses to your fall. It will be nearly impossible to locate these witnesses later unless you do so. If litigation results from your fall, these witnesses will be very important to your case.
4. Report your fall right away. If you suffer an injury due to a fall at a supermarket, report the fall to the manager before you leave. Incident reports will contain useful information about your fall, such as the circumstances of your fall, witnesses, employees on duty at the time of your fall, etc. If possible, ask for a copy of the incident report while you are still at the supermarket. Don't be surprised, however, if they do not provide you with a copy of the incident report. If you notice any cameras in the area where you fell, write down their locations and ask the manager to keep any recording of your fall.
5. While being treated at the hospital, urgent care center or your own doctor, make sure to tell the medical provider that you indeed fell at a store and what caused you to fall. If you do not do so, your medical provider will not record this information in your records. Do not lie about any previous injuries you have sustained if asked. For example, if you are experiencing low back pain, and your medical provider (physician, triage nurse, etc.) asks you about previous back injuries, please be truthful. Negligent supermarket owners will be responsible for any worsening of a previous injury.
6. Follow the advice of your medical providers and keep all appointments with your physicians, physical therapists, etc. If you skip appointments, or don't follow the advice of your medical providers, the supermarket, or its insurance company, will use this against you during your case and will claim that if you would have followed the advice, or kept your appointments, your injury would healed or improved.
7. If a supermarket representative (usually a risk manager) or an insurance company representative calls you for a statement, do not give one before speaking with an attorney. What you tell them will not help you with any claim, but will be used against you during any litigation. Respectfully decline to speak with them.
8. If you were unable to take any photographs of the scene of your fall, or what caused you to fall, right after your fall because of your injury, return to the store when you can and take a couple photographs of the location of your fall.
9. Take the time to research personal injury attorneys to represent you in your claim. Ask friends or relatives for references, contact the Florida Bar, research attorneys on the internet. It is best to hire an attorney focused on helping injured clients rather than a general practice attorney. Interview several attorneys.
10. After you have retained an attorney, make sure to provide your attorney with any photographs you have taken, the names and telephone numbers of any witnesses, and turn over any other evidence you may have, such as the shoes and clothing you were wearing at the time of your fall. Be completely honest with your attorney as to the mechanism of how you fell and your injuries.
1. Seek medical attention right away. If you are injured, don't tough it out, request an ambulance to transport you to a hospital to get checked out. If you do not wish to go to a hospital or have an ambulance summoned, immediately ask a friend or relative to bring you to an urgent care center to have your injury examined.
2. Determine what caused you to fall. Look around the area where you landed for water or other substances on the floor. Look at your clothing for water or stains. If you have a camera phone, take a couple photographs. Better yet, if you are with a friend or relative, have your friend or relative take a couple photographs of the scene, your clothing and any injuries you may have. If you fell over an object, retain the object if you can. If not, take photographs of the object which caused you to fall. If your clothing has oil stains on them, food, etc., do not wash them, but put them in a bag as your clothing will be physical evidence to be used at trial.
3. Jot down, or have a friend or relative jot down the names and telephone numbers of any witnesses to your fall. It will be nearly impossible to locate these witnesses later unless you do so. If litigation results from your fall, these witnesses will be very important to your case.
4. Report your fall right away. If you suffer an injury due to a fall at a supermarket, report the fall to the manager before you leave. Incident reports will contain useful information about your fall, such as the circumstances of your fall, witnesses, employees on duty at the time of your fall, etc. If possible, ask for a copy of the incident report while you are still at the supermarket. Don't be surprised, however, if they do not provide you with a copy of the incident report. If you notice any cameras in the area where you fell, write down their locations and ask the manager to keep any recording of your fall.
5. While being treated at the hospital, urgent care center or your own doctor, make sure to tell the medical provider that you indeed fell at a store and what caused you to fall. If you do not do so, your medical provider will not record this information in your records. Do not lie about any previous injuries you have sustained if asked. For example, if you are experiencing low back pain, and your medical provider (physician, triage nurse, etc.) asks you about previous back injuries, please be truthful. Negligent supermarket owners will be responsible for any worsening of a previous injury.
6. Follow the advice of your medical providers and keep all appointments with your physicians, physical therapists, etc. If you skip appointments, or don't follow the advice of your medical providers, the supermarket, or its insurance company, will use this against you during your case and will claim that if you would have followed the advice, or kept your appointments, your injury would healed or improved.
7. If a supermarket representative (usually a risk manager) or an insurance company representative calls you for a statement, do not give one before speaking with an attorney. What you tell them will not help you with any claim, but will be used against you during any litigation. Respectfully decline to speak with them.
8. If you were unable to take any photographs of the scene of your fall, or what caused you to fall, right after your fall because of your injury, return to the store when you can and take a couple photographs of the location of your fall.
9. Take the time to research personal injury attorneys to represent you in your claim. Ask friends or relatives for references, contact the Florida Bar, research attorneys on the internet. It is best to hire an attorney focused on helping injured clients rather than a general practice attorney. Interview several attorneys.
10. After you have retained an attorney, make sure to provide your attorney with any photographs you have taken, the names and telephone numbers of any witnesses, and turn over any other evidence you may have, such as the shoes and clothing you were wearing at the time of your fall. Be completely honest with your attorney as to the mechanism of how you fell and your injuries.