4 Things You Should Never Do After A Slip And Fall Injury

Articles

Every personal injury case comes with its own set of dos and don'ts to follow, especially if you want to be fairly and justly compensated for your injuries and damages. Not only should you pay close attention to the things you should do during your case, but there are also a few things you should avoid at all costs. The following talks about four things that you should never do if you want any hope of winning your personal injury case.

Delay Medical Treatment

Not seeking medical treatment immediately after the accident occurs could prove to be a major mistake. Unfortunately, many people tend to delay medical treatment simply because they don't feel any obvious pain or discomfort at the time. However, some injuries may not become obvious until hours or even days after the initial injury.

Seeking medical treatment right after your slip and fall accident not only helps doctors immediately identify injuries that could result in later swelling and stiffness, but it also demonstrates to the insurance company that your injuries were severe enough to merit immediate medical attention.

Give a Recorded Statement to the Insurance Company

After the accident, the claims adjuster for the defendant's insurance provider may call and ask for a recorded statement or a question and answer session over the phone. This may seem like a good opportunity to clear the record about your slip and fall injuries, but giving a recorded statement could actually hurt rather than help your case. There are plenty of reasons why you should steer clear of offering a recorded statement:

• A recorded statement provides an unimpeachable record of the state of your injuries in your own words; this can make it incredibly easy for a claims adjuster to dissect your statement and cherry-pick elements that may ultimately downplay or even invalidate your injury claims.
• The questions asked by a claims adjuster may also be designed to produce answers that ultimately downplay the seriousness of your injuries along with the liability of the business or property owner.

Remember: you're not required by law to give a recorded statement, nor are the claims adjusters entitled to one. There's also nothing to gain from giving a statement, so it's something that should be avoided at all costs.

One of the few exceptions to the above rule is when you're dealing with your own insurance company. Most policies have contractual provisions that require you to issue statements to your own insurance provider when asked. Before giving your statement, however, you should carefully read the fine print and have your insurance provider point out exactly where the contractual language is in the policy.   

Use Social Media

Many a personal injury case have been brought down simply by plaintiffs using social media. Just like a recorded statement, the pictures, tweets, and posts you make on your social media account provide an unassailable record that could be used against you during your slip and fall injury case. Something as simple as an innocent, off-the-cuff statement or even a picture of yourself in a jovial mood could lead claims adjusters and the jury to believe that the pain you've experienced is not as severe as you claimed.

To keep this from happening, it's best if you placed yourself on a social media hiatus for the duration of your case. You may not want to go as far as deleting posts or closing your social media account, as these actions could be seen as deceptive by the insurance company's attorneys. It's always a good idea to consult with your personal injury attorney for advice on how to handle your social media use.

Remain Quiet Out of Embarrassment

The worst thing you could do is keep quiet about your slip and fall injury out of sheer embarrassment or fear of ridicule. Keep in mind that slip and fall injuries can happen to anyone at any given moment. Even the most careful person could suddenly take a bad spill and hurt themselves without warning. Reporting your slip and fall accident not only helps you gain fair compensation for your injuries and other damages, but it can also help prevent others from having the same accident. For more information, check out a site like http://www.putnamlieb.com.

Share

20 January 2017