Slip & Fall Accidents  

We help you get back on your feet.  

These accidents are normally sudden, unexpected, and often results in serious injuries including fractures and head trauma. Typically, a person is walking perhaps in a place one is familiar with, such as a retail store, and may be engaged in shopping and then on your next step, you encounter something on the floor causing you to slip or trip and you either slide or stumble forward or become airborne and fall back and land quite forcefully on a hard surface.

First, Take a Moment to Assess your Physical Condition:

Before you try to get up, take just a moment to make sure that you are in fact able to get up. If you are in pain, it is usually best to remain on the floor until someone can assist you. In certain cases, it may be obvious that you have a serious injury such as a fracture or are otherwise experiencing a high level of pain in which case you obviously want to make sure someone assists you as quickly as possible. If it is apparent that you are seriously injured, then you should request paramedics be called as most retail facilities are not equipped to provide medical care.

Next, Take a Moment to Determine What Caused you to Fall:

There are numerous conditions on the floor or exterior ground surface that may have caused or contributed to your slipping, tripping or stumbling, which resulted in your fall. There may have been a spill of a liquid or food matter or even a frayed carpet involved. Whatever the case, it is important that you take stock of your surroundings and try to see what may have caused your fall. You may be asked to complete a customer incident form and for the sake of accuracy, it is in your best interest as well as other patrons that you report what caused your fall.

Accident Reports:

You may be questioned by the owner or manager of the place where your fall occurred as to what happened. It is important that if you have determined that you fell because of water, a spilled soft drink, food matter, or a defect in the floor surface, that you show the problem to the person questioning you as well as any other store employees. It is also important to note where in the store you fell and you may need to check either an aisle number or determine what part of the facility your accident occurred by some other landmarks. While doing this, you may want to glance overhead to see if there are any surveillance cameras near where your accident occurred.

Also, when possible, get the names and phone numbers for any fellow patrons that may have seen you fall or offered you assistance right after you fell. Likewise, you should always try to get the names of any store personnel or in some cases, security staff that become aware of your incident.

If you are asked to write out or complete a pre-printed accident or incident describing what happened, then always make sure you request a copy before you leave the store.

Photos of Accident scene:

Following a slip and fall or trip and fall accident, it is important that if possible, that you confirm what caused your fall by taking a photograph of the floor showing the substance or object which cause you to slip or trip. A photo or two taken with your cell phone or that of a friend or witness showing the condition of the floor and the substance or thing that caused your fall will help deter the owner of the location of your accident from later making an improper internal report that floor was clean and safe or to otherwise dispute what caused you to fall. Likewise, a photo of a store employee engaged in mopping up a spill after your accident provides additional evidence that may dissuade the store from trying to take advantage of you.