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Immediate Steps I Should Take If Hurt in a San Diego Slip and Fall Accident

| May 16, 2014 | Slip And Fall

Slip and fall accidents occur all the time. Often, these accidents leave a victim with serious, even life-threatening injuries. If you are ever injured in a Riverside or San Diego slip and fall accident there are some immediate steps you should take to ensure both your safety and your future right to compensation.

  1. Call for help. This seems obvious but people often slip and fall and fail to take the fall seriously. Just like with a whiplash injury, the extent of the injury may not be immediately apparent. If you are involved in a slip and fall accident, call for help immediately. This serves two purposes. One, it ensures that you will receive medical treatment and two, it documents the accident.
  2. Contact supervisor. If the supervisor, or owner of the property, does not show up initially, make sure he or she is contacted. If you are able to do so, get the individual’s name and contact information for future reference.
  3. Collect witness information. If you are able to do so, ask anyone who saw the accident for their contact information.
  4. Submit to a thorough medical examination. Go directly to the hospital or your personal physician for a thorough medical examination. Many back, neck, and head injuries are not apparent to the victim right after a fall; however, these injuries can be serious, even life-threatening.
  5. Do NOT talk to an insurance adjuster. Chances are good that an insurance adjuster for the property owner’s insurance company will try to contact you not long after the accident. Do not talk to the adjuster or anyone else about the accident. You could unintentionally say something that would harm your chance of being compensated for your injuries. Wait to speak to an attorney and then let your attorney deal with the insurance company.
  6. Follow up with treatment. Always follow up with any suggested medical treatment. Slip and fall injuries can cause significant damage to your back and/or neck. Failing to follow up with treatment will not only exacerbate the injury but will decrease the amount of compensation to which you are entitled in most cases.
  7. Contact an experienced slip and fall attorney. Contact an experienced San Diego slip and fall attorney as soon as possible. If someone’s negligence caused you to slip and fall you may be entitled to compensation that will cover your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

By following these simple seven steps after a San Diego slip and fall accident you will protect yourself and any potential claim you have for your injuries.  If you have suffered injuries as the result of a slip and fall, contact the personal injury attorneys at Martinez & Schill in San Diego at 619-512-5995 or Riverside 951-200-4630.

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