One of the most important steps to take after a DC slip and fall accident is to seek medical attention as soon as possible. A slip and fall accident victim should document as much about the accident, as soon as he or she can. If the victim is unable to do this, a family member or close friend should do this for them. If a person has been injured after a DC slip and fall accident, or in a slip and fall accident in one of the nearby states, he or she (or a close friend or family member) should contact a personal injury law firm in Washington DC that is experienced in successfully defending slip and fall accident victims and their families.
Slip and Fall Law
In the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and many of the surrounding states, when a person is injured on somebody else’s property the property owner may be liable for the person’s injuries. This means that the property owner, often through an insurance policy, owes the victim money in order to pay for expenses that are the result of his or her is injuries.
A slip and fall injury victim or a deceased victim’s family may be able to file a claim under the umbrella of personal injury and premise liability laws. The specifics for these kinds of claims differ from state to state but the basics for many states include that a plaintiff needs to prove that they were (or are) injured and that their injury was caused by someone else’s negligence. A slip and fall accident claim is often filed under a premise liability claim because the plaintiff will typically claim that their injury was caused by the property owner’s negligence in the maintenance and upkeep of their property.
Seek Medical Attention as Soon as Possible
Depending on the severity of their accident, a DC slip and fall accident victim should go to an emergency room, urgent care, or their regular physician, as soon as possible after the accident happens. Even if a person who has slipped and fallen does not feel like they are injured, they should still seek medical attention because there are many injuries that are serious but do not initially cause noticeable symptoms to the injured person. As well, there are many injuries that a person may feel but think that they are getting better, when they are not.
It is important for a slip and fall accident victim to get medical help for their own health. It is also important to do this so that in the event the victim needs to try to seek compensation through a personal injury claim, there is documentation of when the injury initially happened. It is also important to go to all follow-up appointments your doctor prescribes, and to go to the doctor any time symptoms worsen or if new symptoms appear.
Document Everything About Your Accident as Soon as Possible
Documentation can be done in different formats. It is important that a slip and fall accident victim (and their family) gather and make record of as much information about the accident itself, the accident site, how the victim was and is being affected post-accident (through medical record), and witness statements, are just a few of the different kinds of documentation that can be helpful for getting compensation for a slip and fall accident claim.
Written, audio recordings, videos and still photography are all ways of documenting the above. As much as possible, collect as much information as you can and use the media that is best suited to the kind of information you want to have record of.
It is important to do these things as soon as possible so that evidence does not “disappear” by getting fixed, and so that witnesses and the victim’s memories are fresh and not clouded by other people’s and time’s influence.
Contact a Reputable Personal Injury Law Firm
The above information is a general overview and is not intended to be legal advice. If you or someone you love has been injured in a DC slip and fall accident, contact a slip and fall injury attorney as soon as possible.The sooner a DC slip and fall accident victim contacts a reputable law firm that is experienced in successfully defending injured people’s rights, the sooner the law firm can start to protect the victim’s rights.
Cohen & Cohen has been successfully defending injured people and their families’ rights in DC, Maryland and Virginia for over 30 years. If you or someone close to you has been injured in a DC slip and fall accident, we are available to take your call any time of the day or night. A member of our dedicated legal team is available to discuss your situation at no charge and to give you a free case evaluation.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a DC slip and fall accident, contact Cohen & Cohen today.
