What To Do After a Slip and Fall Accident in New York
About 1 million Americans visit emergency rooms each year following slip-and-fall accidents. They often sustain serious slip-and-fall injuries, such as sprained ankles and wrists, broken bones, and even traumatic brain injuries.
If you ever slip and fall and injure yourself, knowing what to do after a slip-and-fall accident is important. Taking the right steps can make it possible to take legal action later on with help from a trusted law firm.
Here are the steps you can take to limit the impact an injury from a slip-and-fall incident has on your life.
Step 1: Assess Your Slip-and-Fall Injuries and Seek Medical Attention
In the immediate aftermath of a slip-and-fall accident in New York, your first instinct may be to stand up and dust yourself off as quickly as you can. Since slip-and-fall accidents in New York can cause serious injuries, though, this is not what to do after a slip-and-fall accident.
Instead, take inventory of your body to see which slip-and-fall injuries you may have sustained. Evaluate everything from your wrists and ankles to your head and neck to see if you notice any pain. Keep in mind that pain may not be as noticeable in the minutes after the accident while your adrenaline is still pumping.
From there, either call 911 and have paramedics sent to the scene of your slip-and-fall accident so you can seek medical treatment, or make your way to a local ER for a medical evaluation. Even if you don’t think you’re badly injured, it’s better to be safe than sorry after a slip-and-fall accident in New York. Seeking medical attention also gives you documentation to use in your claim.
Step 2: Gather Evidence Related to Your Slip-and-Fall Accident
If you can stand on your own after a slip-and-fall accident, consider spending a few minutes gathering evidence on the scene. Snap photos and capture videos that show the circumstances that caused your slip-and-fall accident.
Common causes of slip-and-fall accidents are:
- Uneven floors.
- Slippery floors.
- Cluttered floors.
- Bunched carpeting.
- Merchandise in aisleways.
Poor lighting and faulty handrails can also cause slip-and-fall accidents in New York. Determine what was behind your slip-and-fall accident and document it.
Speak with anyone who may have witnessed your slip-and-fall accident as well and exchange contact information. If you choose to take legal action following a slip-and-fall accident, your lawyer may want to talk to them and maybe even involve them in your case.
Step 3: Speak With a Personal Injury Lawyer About Your Slip-and-Fall Accident
In the days after your slip-and-fall accident, you may hear from insurance companies with connections to those possibly to blame for your accident. Be cordial with them but don’t engage in too many in-depth discussions until you can gain legal advice from a reputable personal injury lawyer. Search for one with experience handling slip-and-fall cases.
Tell your lawyer a slip and fall occurred and explain what happened in the moments leading up to your accident. Talk to them about how the slip-and-fall accident has changed your life and impacted your financial situation. By doing this, you can help your lawyer begin to build a strong case on your behalf.
Call Us To Decide What To Do After a Slip-and-Fall Accident in New York
Thousands of Americans file slip-and-fall accident lawsuits each year. If you sustained slip-and-fall injuries recently, Cantor, Wolff, Nicastro & Hall LLC can handle your case. We can also break down what to do after a slip-and-fall accident further.
Call us at 716-848-8000 or contact us online to arrange a free consultation with a slip-and-fall lawyer.