All property owners have a responsibility to keep their property in reasonably safe condition to protect anyone using the property from harm. Any property who knows of a dangerous condition on the property must take reasonable and timely precautions to resolve the potential danger before someone else can get hurt.
If you are injured after falling on someone else’s property due to poor conditions, here are some actions you can take.
- Get medical attention: Your first priority should always be making sure you’re okay. Even if you don’t initially feel symptoms setting in, you should get yourself checked out, because those symptoms might not show up for days or weeks.
- Take pictures: Take photos of the area where you had your accident. If the problem was a lack of handrail, or a slippery surface, or flooring or sidewalks in poor condition, these are all issues you’ll want to document in photographs.
- Collect evidence: Preserve any other evidence you can find aside from the photographs. If anyone else witnessed the accident, get their names and contact information so they can assist you in your claim.
- File an incident report: If the incident occurred at a business, inform the store manager and file a report with them. If the incident involved an attack, you should file a police report. Be sure to collect any medical reports relevant to your case as well as reports about finances and payments.
- Get legal advice: Never sign any settlements without first speaking to an attorney. An experienced lawyer will help you through the claims process and maximize your settlement value.
For more information about what steps you should take if you get injured on someone else’s property, contact an experienced Bradenton, FL personal injury lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh.