Scarily enough, slip and fall accidents can occur just about anywhere; there can be a spilled liquid in a grocery store aisle, raised carpeting in a retail store, an icy patch on a sidewalk, uneven pavement in a parking lot, or a loose handrail in a stairwell. Whatever was involved in yours, there are two things you must do. One, you must seek medical attention from a doctor. Secondly, you must ask a property owner to write an incident report. Without further introduction, please follow along to find out how doctors and property owners can help document your accident, and how a seasoned Miami slip & fall lawyer at the Law Offices of Gonzalo Funes, PA, can help you utilize this documentation in your pending legal claim.
How can doctors diagnose my slip and fall injury?
Medical documentation is one of the most important things you can possess after a slip and fall accident. Physically, this gives you the proper diagnosis and treatment plan you need to, hopefully, reach a full recovery. Legally, this gives you evidence of the economic and non-economic damages you have incurred, and will continue to endure, due to a property owner’s negligence.
To use a specific example, say that you fractured your hip when you slipped and fell. This may have been realized after an emergency room visit and X-ray scan. Soon after, you may have been scheduled for a surgical procedure. Now, you may be undergoing months’ worth of physical therapy sessions. All the while, you may have had to spend some time away from work. Or worse, pivot to a less physically demanding career.
With the support of your doctor’s official medical diagnosis, you may have a fighting chance of collecting compensation for all these things. One step further, you may ask them or a medical expert to testify on your behalf in your claim proceedings. This testimony may support your claim of non-economic damages and how much your accident has affected your quality of life, enjoyment in life, etc.
How can property owners help document my slip and fall?
Now, before you even leave the scene of your slip and fall accident to seek medical attention, you should try to track down the property owner or a manager present on the premises. This is so they may conduct an internal incident report and supply you with a copy before you go on your way. Namely, this report should cover the who, what, when, and where of your accident event. In short, it should establish causation, which was likely a hazard on the premises.
It may happen to you where a property owner refuses to do this write-up in an attempt to avoid liability. If so, you should create your own records while the details of the accident are still fresh in your mind, along with the name of the party who refused you this documentation. Especially if you feel as though your injuries and damages are serious enough, you may want to call law enforcement to the scene and have an officer make a third-party record of the event.
For further legal guidance, please look no further than a competent Miami-Dade County injury lawyer. When you work with the Law Offices of Salvatore Funes, PA, you can trust that you are in good hands. Schedule a consultation with us today.
