When you’re injured on someone else’s property, it’s easy to write off the accident as unavoidable. In reality, however, the property manager or owner is likely to blame for such accidents. Whether negligence or ill-will led to you being injured in this accident, you deserve to understand your rights. Doing so can help you stay out of personal and financial peril post-accident. To help guide you through this difficult time, here are the five essential steps you should take after suffering from an accident on someone else’s property:
1. Determine If You Need Medical Attention
Before any other step, you must seek any medical attention that you need. Determining whether you’re indeed injured right after an accident occurs can be difficult, so in many cases, it’s important to get checked out to be extra careful. Especially if you determine later on that you’ve suffered an injury that did not have immediate symptoms, having medical documentation is important. Additionally, getting treatment ASAP will help you overcome your injuries in a much faster, more effective manner. If others at the scene of the accident have been injured, you should do what you can to help them find immediate medical care for their injuries as well. For those who find themselves in the tragic situation of being involved in a premise liability lawsuit, you can benefit greatly from the professional services provided by Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers.
2. Report the Accident to the Authorities
Understanding what authorities you need to report your premise liability accident to is key to finding legal success later on. For many premise-related accidents, you’ll need to report the incident to the owner, manager, and any other key personnel of the property you’ve been injured on. Letting any landlords, homeowners associations and business associations linked to the property about the accident is critical as well. Lastly, making sure the police are aware of the accident, and that they get the proper documentation written down about the incident (which we will be discussing in more detail below) is crucial to successfully navigating this type of legal claim.
3. Document the Accident Scene
Every single inch of the accident scene, and the circumstances surrounding your accident, should be documented to the best of your abilities. If you fail to properly document the scene and the incident, proving your case in court, later on, will become incredibly difficult, after all. Be sure to take pictures of the scene, and of any injuries that you’ve sustained because of the accident. You should also be taking down written statements from all witnesses and property managers post-accident. Building up this evidence will prove invaluable to your legal journey from this point forward, so make sure to take this step seriously. If you need assistance in documenting the accident scene, you should contact someone you trust, or a qualified legal representative, to get the job done properly.
4. File Away Your Associated Medical Bills
Premise liability lawsuits do not resolve themselves overnight. Due to this, you need to keep all the documentation related to your accident in a safe, filed-away place (preferably in both an online and IRL space). Medical bills that have accrued due to the accident, and the injuries that you’ve suffered due to the accident, become especially important to keep safe. You want the ability to seek out any documentation and medical bills you have at a moment’s notice. Doing so will help you shorten the length of time needed to resolve the claims you’ve made against the offending property’s manager.
5. Approach Insurance Companies with Caution
Insurance companies are likely to swarm you after you’ve suffered a premise liability accident. They are often predatory, so you should avoid talking to them about the accident at all unless you are legally required to do so. If you end up hiring a personal injury lawyer, they can talk to and negotiate with any insurance agents if the need arises. If an insurance agent representing the property you were injured at contacts you, be sure to send them straight to your legal representative for comment. By following this advice, you can avoid preventable legal issues, and ensure that your legal claim against the property is as strong as possible.
Contact a Quality Personal Injury Attorney Now
Throughout this process, the help you’ll receive from a qualified personal injury attorney will become invaluable. They will ensure you get the restitution that you deserve and that your accident will not upend your life and finances. Since the accident is no fault of your own, you need professional representatives that can help you prove your victimhood in a court of law effectively.
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