As the weather turns colder in Connecticut, we begin to see an increase in the number of slips, trips, and falls. Slip and fall accidents can be the cause of life altering serious injuries and even death. According to the National Safety Council, falls are now the leading cause of fatal and non fatal injuries among older adults. “Every twenty minutes an older adult dies from a fall,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Injuries and death from slip and falls is not limited to older adults. In 2014, 32,000 people died as a result of a fall, and more than 800,000 people are hospitalized each year due to injuries from a fall. (NSC)
Safe Property
Property owners have a duty to keep their property safe. This applies to homes, as well as businesses. This is not something we often think about when running in to a grocery store or while shopping at a mall. We take for granted that the floors are safe to walk on, that objects on shelves have been secured and wont’ fall on us, that handrails are secure. But this is not always the case.
5 steps to take after a slip and fall accident:
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Seek medical help.
If you are injured on someone’s property due to a defective condition, seek the medical help you need for your injuries.
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Take pictures.
In addition to seeking medical care, taking pictures of where the fall occurred is very important. The pictures should include the defect that caused the fall. This can be a patch of ice, a crack in a sidewalk, a spilled liquid, etc.
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Identify witnesses.
It is also very important to get the names and numbers of any witnesses who can describe the area where the fall occurred and any additional details they may have.
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Make an official report.
If you are injured in a store a manager or security guard may write an incident report. Make sure you have a copy of this report before you leave!
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Call a slip and fall attorney.
If you are injured at a place of business or another person’s home, you should consider pursuing a slip and fall lawsuit and take action as soon as possible. Frank McCoy has successfully tried numerous Premises Liability cases for McCoy & McCoy. Contact us here, or call 860-244-9100. We will answer your questions and evaluate your premises liability claim at no charge.
Thanks for helping me understand that taking pictures and saving them would be used to prove the defect that cause the slip and fall accident. I will share this information with my best friend now that she’s also looking for a slip-and-fall attorney after the incident in a parking lot earlier. Hopefully, the help of a lawyer can ensure that the owner of the establishment will cover all the medical expenses for her, because it seems like it caused a sprain that can leave her limping for about a week or more.