5 Important Things To Do If You Are Involved In A Slip And Fall

1. Collect data from the scene

  • Try to look for what caused you to fall.
  • Take pictures of the scene (i.e. the floor, stair, step, curb, etc.) and of what caused your fall (i.e. water or other liquid, sand, gravel, food, debris, etc.).
  • Obtain the name, address, and phone number of any witness who saw you fall.

2. Preserve evidence

  • Write down the date, time, and location of the fall.
  • If your clothes or shoes got wet and/or dirty, please take pictures of them, do not wash them, and save them in zip lock bags.

3. Report the incident

  • Report what happened to the store manager, premises owner, or security personnel.
  • Request a copy of the report and any photographs they may have taken.
  • Write on the report: “Please save all security and/or store video of the area and of my fall”.
  • Identify on the report, as best you can, what caused you to slip/trip and/fall.

4. Seek medical attention immediately

  • Seek medical attention immediately (that day or the next).
  • Even what seems like a small injury can develop into serious complications.
  • If you don’t seek medical treatment immediately, the premises owner’s insurance carrier will argue that you were not hurt by the fall.
  • Keep copies of all medical records, bills, and receipts.
  • Follow through with all of your doctor’s recommendations and treatments.
  • Make healing a priority.

5. Do not talk to the premise owner’s insurance carrier

  • If the premises owner’s insurance carrier reaches out to you asking for a statement (recorded or otherwise) about the incident, please do not talk to them without
    talking to an attorney at Shim & Chang first.
  • Just get the insurance person’s name, telephone number, and employer’s name, and tell them that your attorneys will be in touch with them.
  • Remember, they are not your friend. Their sole goal is to protect the premises owner.
  • They will ask questions to make it seem like it was your fault or to minimize your injury.
  • They may offer you a small sum of money in exchange for a statement or to make everything go away. Do not fall for this, and never give them a settlement amount which you would accept.
  • Paying as little as possible is in the insurance carrier’s best interest, not yours.
  • Do not attempt to try to settle your case without first talking to an attorney at Shim & Chang.

Our Honolulu Slip and Fall Attorneys Can Help

If you were involved in a slip or trip and fall incident, call Shim & Chang at (808) 524-5803 or visit our Honolulu slip and fall attorneys. There is absolutely no cost to you, as we provide free case consultations. Unlike some firms, you will get to speak to an attorney. Call Shim & Chang today, “The Lawyers recommended by other lawyers.”