2 Things You Might Be Doing To Sabotage Your Slip And Fall Case
ShareAfter you have fallen as the result of a store's negligence, you may already know that you want to seek some kind of settlement for what happened to you. However, if you have never been through this kind of process before, you may be making mistakes that can ruin your chances of a fair settlement. Here are two things you may be doing to sabotage your own case.
Not Getting a Lawyer Early On
In the days after your accident, you may not be able to think about much but feeling better. However, it is important that you start thinking about retaining a personal injury attorney as soon are you are able. Why?
You need to be able to build your case with your memory of the day in mind. A good lawyer will get a statement from you, and then immediately set out to find witnesses and contact the store for any video that they may have of the event. They will be able to help you fill out any paperwork properly and they will be able to advise you on interactions you may have with the store's insurance company. All of these things can strengthen your case and may make a difference when you are seeking a settlement.
Consult a few local personal injury attorneys to find one like Kaiser Law Group who is experienced in slip and fall accidents, and can therefore serve as a good guide for you.
Talking about Your Accident
Your lawyer should be the only one that you discuss your slip and fall case with. If representatives from the store seek to get in touch with you, refer them to your lawyer. If the store's insurance company contacts you, follow your lawyer's advice about what to say. It is likely that your lawyer will recommend not speaking to insurance professionals in their absence. You may be tempted to answer basic questions, but keep in mind that anything you say may be used against you in court.
It is also important that you watch what you say on your social media profiles. Investigators from insurance companies are on the lookout for people who claim to be injured but are lying; they will try to find out as much as they can about how you're doing, and social media profiles can make their job very easy. Make sure your profiles are private, and try to avoid talking about your case at all.
If you manage to avoid making the mistakes discussed in this article, you will be able to mount a strong case against the store where you fell. Work closely with your attorney, so that you can soon get the settlement you deserve.