When an accident victim documents the available evidence, that action does help to guarantee preservation of those same items. Still, victims must realize that documentation consists of far more than a collection of documents. In fact, there are few written guidelines for the victim that plans to gather all the relevant evidence. This article contains a few more.
How to document injuries sustained during a slip and fall incident
Return to the scene; go there at the time of day that corresponds with the hour when the fall took place. If you fell inside of a restaurant, and that eating establishment serves specific specials on certain days of the week, go on the day of the week when you joined the ranks of the fall victims.
Look for evidence and take pictures. Do not take all of the photographs while standing in the same spot. Snap the scene from different angles. Take a friend along with you when you return to the scene and get pictures. That friend can verify the fact that you took the photographs at a given time of day, and while standing in a particular location.
How to go after more than the obvious evidence
Seek out some witnesses. If you do not meet anyone that saw what happened, maybe you will meet someone that noted the degree that you got shaken. Perhaps you will talk with someone that realized the extent of your pain in the moments that followed that falling incident.
Ideally, you will remember what you were wearing on that particular day. Perhaps you can find a piece of a torn shirt or blouse. Check to see if it contains any blood marks or any other stain. Take it home and store it in a safe location.
That torn garment contains as much information as a dent in a car that has been in an automobile accident. It indicates who was at fault. Who became a bit careless or neglectful? Without proof of negligence, you have little reason to anticipate winning a personal injury lawsuit.
Appreciate the value of records
Be sure that you visit a doctor soon after your fall. And after that your first step needs to be consulting with a personal injury lawyer in Sherwood Park. The information on your injuries will become part of your medical record. The defendant’s insurance company will examine that record, while deciding what to offer you in the form of a monetary compensation. Of course, the insurer might focus on your first meeting with the doctor.
A follow-up appointment could show that an apparently simple injury was more complex. It could indicate that your injury has not healed at the rate that doctors expect for a minor injury. Hence, you would have grounds for seeking a larger compensation.