Every year, there are more than 1 million Americans who visit emergency rooms after suffering slip and fall accidents. If you’re ever involved in one of these accidents, you’ll find out first-hand just how scary they can be.
There are all kinds of injuries that you can sustain during a slip and fall accident. From broken bones to concussions, you should make sure that you get yourself checked out and fixed up following a slip and fall.
You should also strongly consider calling on a slip and fall accident attorney to help you collect the money that you deserve to collect in the aftermath of an accident. There is a chance that you could be entitled to quite a bit of money from whoever it is that was responsible for your slip and fall accident.
Here are five of the factors you should consider prior to reaching out to a slip and fall accident lawyer for assistance.
- Were You Injured in Your Accident?
First things first: If you slipped and fell during an accident but you weren’t hurt badly enough to warrant a hospital visit, you likely won’t need to get a slip and fall accident attorney on your side. There won’t be much they can do to help you.
Some people are under the impression that the simple act of slipping and falling is going to be enough to earn them a big payout. But if you weren’t actually hurt at all during your fall, you’re probably going to be wasting your time contacting a lawyer.
It’s why you should always take a trip to the ER after a slip and fall accident. Even the smallest injury could allow you to build a case after a slip and fall accident.
- Do You Feel as Though Someone Else Was Responsible for Your Accident?
Did you slip and fall during your accident because you were horsing around and being negligent? Or did you slip and fall because the floor was slippery and there wasn’t a sign up to let you know about it?
If you fall into the first category, you might want to rethink contacting a slip and fall accident attorney. But if you fall into the second one, you could have a strong case on your hands.
You’ll want to give a lawyer like Jeff Preszler a call and say, “I had a slip and fall accident and someone else was responsible for it.” They’ll ask you a series of questions about your accident and see if you might have a case.
- Can You Prove That You Deserve Compensation Because of Your Accident?
While a lawyer is in the process of speaking with you about your slip and fall accident, they’re going to ask you whether or not you’ve suffered financially as a result of it. You’re going to have to provide a reason for why you deserve compensation in some way.
You might be able to do this by:
- Showing a lawyer the hospital bills you’ve racked up since the accident
- Letting a lawyer know about the wages you’ve missed out on since the accident
- Discussing the pain and suffering you’ve experienced since the accident with a lawyer
If you haven’t struggled financially in any way in the aftermath of the accident, you might not be able to build a case for yourself with your lawyer’s help. But if you have, you’re going to get a better response from a lawyer.
- Is There Anything You’ve Done Since Your Accident That Might Be Used Against You?
Since your accident occurred, is there anything that you’ve done that might indicate that you weren’t hurt as badly as you’ve led people to believe?
There are some people who will attempt to play up slip and fall injuries for the sake of trying to collect a check. But at the same time, they’ll post evidence on social media that shows that they’re doing just fine and not too hurt to take part in certain activities.
“Many insurance companies task investigators with monitoring your personal social media pages for evidence that your disability claim is fraudulent, so it’s important you keep your pages private or limit the amount of personal information you post online,” says David Preszler with Preszler Law.
It’s good to comb through your social media activity since your accident to see if anything on your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages could prevent you from being compensated following a slip and fall accident.
- Are You Ready to Take a Slip and Fall Case to Court?
As long as you hire the right slip and fall accident attorney to represent you, taking your case to court shouldn’t be too stressful for you. But there is going to be some stress associated with any legal matter.
You need to make sure you’re 100% prepared to see your case through to the end. With a little luck, you might be able to work out a settlement agreement with the other side to keep your case out of court.
But if that doesn’t happen, you’re going to have to spend several months going in and out of courtrooms. It could take a toll on you before too long. You need to be sure you’re ready to commit to seeing the legal process play out.
Touch Base With a Slip and Fall Accident Attorney for Assistance Today
Not sure whether hiring a slip and fall accident attorney is the right move? You should at the very least speak with one about your case to see how strong it is.
Ask yourself the questions found here and make the proper considerations as far as your slip and fall accident is concerned. And then, get in contact with a lawyer you know you can trust to discuss your case. It’ll help you make the right decisions as you move forward.
Learn more about hiring lawyers to help you in all kinds of different situations by browsing through the informative articles found elsewhere on our blog.
