Protecting The Injured In Arizona For More Than 30 Years

3 steps to protect your rights after a slip-and-fall accident

Slip-and-fall accidents are traumatic and can lead to serious and life-threatening injuries. Severe injuries such as head injuries and broken bones occur in approximately 20% of all falls. Protecting your rights is critical for your long-term well-being if you have a slip-and-fall accident.

When an accident occurs on someone else’s property, the property owner and insurance company are not there to protect you. These three steps can help you maintain your rights and hold a negligent party accountable.

1. Do not give away more information than required

While you must inform the property owner of the incident, you do not want to offer more information than necessary. A well-intentioned apology or indication of fault can significantly hurt your efforts to recover damages. If you stick to the basic facts, you reduce your risk of saying something that can be used against you later.

2. Seek medical attention immediately

Do not wait to go to the doctor, even if you do not think your injuries are serious. Symptoms may take time to develop, but if you wait to seek medical attention, the other party can deny that your injuries occurred due to the property owner’s negligence.

3. Do not accept an initial offer to settle

Property owners and their insurance companies diligently fight slip-and-fall cases. However, if they believe they might have a lawsuit on their hands, they may offer you a settlement in an amount that will not cover your losses. If you accept, you will close the door to getting the compensation you deserve.

A slip-and-fall accident can make you feel vulnerable and at a loss for what to do. When you take steps to protect your rights immediately after the incident, you give yourself time to get the help you need to know how to proceed.