What to do if you are involved in a slip and fall accident:

Slip and falls can happen on the job, inside businesses, restaurants, and other high traffic areas. These type of falls occur when people are paying close attention to their surroundings, and sometimes, when they are unable to see the hazard, due to inadequate lighting as well as other reasons.

Water or any other type of liquid on the floor can be hazardous to people, causing them to slip and fall. Often, people think they are okay at the time of the accident, but then the aches and pains from the injury surface a few days later. Some of the most common injuries with slip and fall cases include:

  • Back
  • Neck
  • Shoulder
  • Knee
  • Joints/ligaments
  • Cartilage tears in knees and shoulders

Here’s what you need to do immediately after the fall:

  • If possible, while at the place of the accident, get someone to take photos of the place you fell so that the area will be documented.
  • Get the store manager to fill out an incident report at the time of the fall.
  • You should also keep the shoes that you were wearing at the time of the fall.
  • There is very likely video evidence of your fall by the owner of the place where you fell, whether at a grocery store, shopping mall, retail store or big box store, or other location. Ask that the video be preserved.
  • Call us at Friedman and Martin as soon as possible, and we can send a letter on your behalf to request the video of your fall. Some retailers will provide them via their insurance company, and others will not provide them.

It’s important to know that most falls that occur on someone else’s property may be covered by homeowner’s insurance or insurance of the place where you fell. Don’t give a recorded statement to the adjuster calling your about your fall. The insurance company will likely try to use that against you at a later date. The law is slip and fall cases is such that the injured person has the burden to show the following: how they fell, what caused them to fall, that the store owner knew or should have known about the hazard, and that the land owner failed to warn of the hazard.

Contact Friedman and Martin at 912-232-8500 for help/advice/legal representation.