Learn about premises liability, who’s at fault in the event of an accident, and what to do if you’ve been injured on someone’s property.
Were you injured after slipping and falling in the middle of a supermarket or maybe at a summary party? Or were you hurt during a swimming pool accident in your neighbor’s backyard?
If so, you might have what’s called a premises liability case on your hands. Premises liability cases are essentially personal injury cases that involve injuries that people suffer while on someone else’s property.
There is a chance that the property owner, not you, could be responsible for paying for any medical costs that you incur as a result of an injury on their property. But it’s up to you to learn the premises liability laws and to spring into action if you think this might be the case.
These types of accidents are more complex and require strong negotiation skills, as well as in-depth knowledge of tort law. Being involved in such a case, consulting a specialized personal injury attorney is the best decision you can make. An expert lawyer will help you get the highest compensation and medical care to recover fully. They will fight till the end for justice and a reasonable close of the case.
Before you get too far ahead of yourself, it’s important for you to know exactly what to do after sustaining an injury on someone else’s property. Here are the steps you should take after getting hurt on a property that’s not your own.
Start by Seeking Medical Attention for Your Injury Right Away
If you’re ever involved in an accident on someone else’s property that results in an injury, premises liability should be the furthest thing from your mind in the immediate aftermath of it.
Instead of worrying about potentially suing someone, you should strive to get the medical attention that you need right away. Even if you think you’re OK, it’s still a good idea to take a trip to the emergency room or to your doctor’s office to get checked out.
It’s always smart for injured persons to get the medical attention that they need before doing anything else. This will help prevent a relatively minor injury from turning into a bigger problem than it needs to be.
Take Photos of the Conditions That Caused Your Injury
In addition to seeking medical attention following an accident on someone else’s property, you should also aim to take photos of the conditions that caused your injury. These photos could come in handy later if you decide to hire a personal injury lawyer and file a lawsuit.
As recently as a decade ago, taking photos of an accident scene would have been difficult to do. People didn’t always walk around with cameras in their back pockets.
But in 2020, just about all smartphones are equipped with cameras capable of taking high-quality photos. Use this to your advantage by snapping dozens of photos of the accident scene so that you have them later.
Doing this will ensure that you’re covered just in case the property owner fixes whatever it is that caused your injury. You’ll have a much easier time proving that you slipped on a soaking-wet floor or tripped on uneven cement surrounding a pool when you have photographic evidence.
Get the Names and Phone Numbers of Anyone Who Witnessed Your Injury
Was there anyone who you think saw you get injured on someone else’s property? Maybe there were other shoppers near you when you fell in the supermarket or other neighbors around when you were injured in your neighbor’s pool.
Get the names and phone numbers of anyone who may have been in the general vicinity when you were hurt. They might be able to testify to what they saw at a later date and help you prove that the property owner was to blame for your injury.
Obtain a Report Detailing the Incident That Led to Your Injury
When you’re injured on someone else’s property, you should let them know that you were hurt. You should also do whatever it takes to obtain some kind of official report outlining the incident that took place.
If, for example, you were injured after slipping and falling in a supermarket, you should let the manager of the store know. They’ll want to take down your name and contact information and speak with you about what happened so that they can create an incident report.
Try to get a copy of that report once it’s all finished. It could serve as another key piece of evidence in the event that you choose to file a lawsuit.
Save Any Medical Records Related to Your Injury
As we mentioned earlier, it’s important for you to seek the proper medical attention after sustaining an injury on someone else’s property. It’s also important for you to go through additional testing and treatment, if necessary, to make your injury go away.
As you work your way through the healing process, make sure you save any and all medical records tied to your injury. From your initial hospital bills to receipts for follow-up appointments with your doctor, you should save it all.
Hanging onto your medical records will illustrate how much your injury cost you in total. You might be eligible to receive some of, if not all of, the money you spent back based on the premises liability laws that are on the books.
Schedule a Meeting With a Personal Injury Lawyer
Do you suspect that you might have a strong premises liability case on your hands?
Then you should get into contact with a personal injury lawyer as soon as you can following your injury. You should put off talking to insurance company representatives or lawyers representing others until you have a lawyer of your own.
A personal injury lawyer can talk to you about premises liability laws and help you figure out whether or not you might be entitled to reimbursement for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Other damages
The premises liability laws can be confusing, so it’s good to have an experienced personal injury lawyer by your side. They can break them down for you so that you understand them.
Talk to Your Lawyer About the Premises Liability Laws
When you’re first injured on someone else’s property, you’ll be primarily concerned about your health. But once it’s clear that you’re going to be OK, you’ll start to become concerned about how your injury is going to impact your finances.
The premises liability laws are in place to protect you. They allow you to seek reimbursement for things like medical bills so that you don’t end up in debt following an injury. All you need to do is hire a personal injury lawyer to help you build a case.
Track down tips on hiring a personal injury lawyer by browsing through the articles on our blog.