Slips and falls account for a significant number of accidental injuries every year. Between icy sidewalks, torn carpets and badly lit stairwells, it’s hardly surprising when you hear that someone has fallen and filed a claim over their injuries.
Unfortunately, a lot of errors get made in personal injury claims involving slips and falls — which is why we’re going to offer you some advice. Here are the biggest mistakes that people make after a slip-and-fall accident:
1. Exaggerating the claim
Most people don’t go as far as the New Jersey man who recently tried to fake a slip-and-fall accident in the company break room. However, you don’t have to outright fake a fall in order to create problems for yourself. Lying to the insurance company about the severity of your injuries or the extent of your losses can (at best) ruin your credibility or (at worst) get you charged with insurance fraud.
2. Not keeping the evidence
Part of your case relies on your ability to show the court that a dangerous condition caused your fall. Physical evidence can help. At a minimum, you want to keep your shoes to prove that you were wearing appropriate footwear for the situation at the time of the accident. Your clothes, too, may be important — especially if you allege there was a slick substance on the floor that led to your fall.
3. Waiting to seek treatment
If you’re injured in a fall, you need medical attention. Don’t spend days or weeks wondering if your injury is serious enough to see a doctor. Go to a hospital and get checked out. The longer the delay between the time you fall and the time you seek treatment, the more opportunity the defense has to say that your injuries aren’t related to your accident.
If you’ve been injured in a fall, you have every right to expect the negligent party to take responsibility for your losses. An attorney can help you explore all your legal options.
