Slip and fall accidents are common in Florida, and they happen for a variety of reasons, including:
- Uneven walking surfaces
- Spills
- Wet floors
- Missing or broken railings
- Narrow or littered store aisles
Regardless of the reason, people are often unsure of where to turn and what to do following a slip and fall accident. Below are the steps you should take after a slip and fall accident in Florida.
Call a doctor
If you are injured in a slip and fall accident, you should immediately call a doctor. In fact, even if you don’t think you’ve been injured, you should still seek medical attention. Some head injuries, for example, don’t present immediate symptoms. Therefore, examination by a physician should be your top priority following a Florida slip and fall accident.
Report the accident
After you’ve received medical attention, report your accident to the property owner or manager of the business where you were injured. Make sure that you file a formal accident report and obtain a copy. If there is no official procedure in place, send a letter via certified mail and keep a copy for your records. In addition, if the police responded to the accident that caused your injury, make sure you also obtain a copy of the police report.
Save your records
In addition to the records discussed above, save all injury-related medical records, documents demonstrating absences from work, and all other records related to the accident. In addition, save any property damaged in your slip and fall accident.
Collect witness information
If witnesses were present during your accident, collect the following information:
- Witness names
- Witness addresses
- Witness phone numbers
- Witness email addresses
- Witness statements
Take pictures
If possible, take or obtain photographs of the following after a slip and fall accident:
- The accident scene
- The general area where the accident occurred
- Bodily injuries suffered in the accident
- Property damage suffered in the accident
Take notes
After a Florida slip and fall accident, be sure to write down everything that happened before, during, and after the event. These notes should include:
- Where you were prior to the accident
- What caused the accident
- Information about your recovery and medical treatment
- Pain suffered due to the accident
- Setbacks experienced due to the accident
- Days of work missed due to the accident
Contact a Pensacola personal injury attorney
If you’ve suffered injuries in a slip and fall accident in Pensacola, Florida, you need an experienced Florida personal injury attorney on your side. Located in Pensacola, Florida, Staples, Ellis + Associates, P.A., has over seventy years of combined experience representing slip and fall accident victims in Northwest Florida and Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties. If you or a loved one has been injured in a slip and fall accident in Northwest Florida, Staples Ellis is here to help you overcome the harm you have endured. Please contact our office as soon as possible to set up a consultation with one of our talented attorneys.
Posted in: Personal Injury