Do you really want to recover the right way from your slip and fall accident?
Slip and fall accidents take place abruptly and cause serious injuries, sending over 8 million Americans to the hospital in 2023 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These accidents are no joke as they have become one of the leading causes of serious injury.
These types of accidents are likely to happen to anybody because they can occur almost anywhere and you don’t have to do anything special to be a victim. But just because they can happen to anyone doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to protect your legal rights if you happen to be on the receiving end of one.
The main problem is, people don’t realize the importance of prioritizing their health, not just to heal but also to help build their legal case.
After reading this article, you’ll be armed with information you never knew you needed to know if you’re unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of a slip and fall accident.
As always, your health comes first!
What you’ll discover:
- How the Injuries Caused by a Slip and Fall Accident Could Cost You Money
- Prioritizing Your Health After a Slip and Fall Injury
- How to Strengthen Your Slip and Fall Accident Claim
- Safely Recovering From a Slip and Fall Injury
How the Injuries Caused by a Slip and Fall Accident Could Cost You Money
Here’s something you probably don’t know…
You should always put your health above all your other legal and financial considerations. But wait. There’s more…
In fact, taking proper care of your health after a slip and fall accident can actually help you build your legal case and maximize your compensation at the same time. Let’s find out!
Slip and Fall Accident Hidden Injuries
You think you’re okay after a slip and fall accident? Well think again!
It’s possible that some serious injuries can be masked by adrenaline at the moment of the accident and appear as symptoms later on. Here are some of the most common injuries which don’t show immediately:
- traumatic brain injury,
- damage to the spinal cord,
- internal bleeding, and
- broken bones.
SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION, REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU FEEL!
Adrenaline coursing through your system may be covering up serious damage and injuries. Seek out medical attention even if you feel okay right away.
Otherwise, you run the risk of insurance companies trying to deny or reduce the validity of your claim if you don’t immediately go to the emergency room.
Prioritizing Your Health After a Slip and Fall Injury
Before you consider legal options and monetary gain, you must first put your health above all your other legal and financial concerns.
Here’s why it’s so important to do that:
- Treatments, tests and diagnosis can strengthen your case.
- Medical records create indisputable proof of your condition and degree of injury
- Failure to seek treatment, or ‘toughing it out’ can be used as evidence against you
- Building your case at the expense of your health is only going to make things worse for you
Here’s what you need to do to ensure you focus on your health before all else:
- Get immediate medical treatment regardless of how you feel after the accident
- Visit urgent care or go to the emergency room as soon as you notice symptoms.
- Immediately follow your doctor’s prescribed treatment regimen and advice to the letter.
- Document your medical records, tests, and procedures as evidence for your case.
- Avoid self-medicating and do not alter the treatment course without your doctor’s consent.
Following these steps will go a long way towards establishing the basis of your case and building on it as your recovery proceeds.
How to Strengthen Your Slip and Fall Accident Claim
Your medical records become the cornerstone of your legal claim. Every time you see a doctor and they run tests or give you treatment, this becomes evidence that you can use in court.
Building a Paper Trail of Medical Evidence
In order to build an ironclad legal case, you need to build a paper trail of medical documentation that proves what happened to you. Here are the most important forms of documentation that you’ll need:
- Emergency room and urgent care visits, including initial evaluation and treatments
- Follow-up medical appointments with your PCP, specialists, and other medical providers
- Physical therapy appointments and progress notes
- Prescription medications, their costs, and refills
- Diagnostic tests such as x-rays, MRIs, or other imaging
Bottom line: you must be your own best advocate by being an active participant in your own health and recovery.
Keep copies of everything and report back to all of your healthcare providers about your symptoms and recovery as this will become important legal documentation.
Your recovery can take a very long time or it can be quick depending on the injury. Minor soft tissue damage might only take a few weeks. Broken bones can take months. Recovery from traumatic brain injuries can sometimes be permanent. It all depends on the situation.
If you need experienced slip and fall injury lawyers in NYC to help with your case, they’ll tell you the same thing — immediate medical care is crucial for both your health and your claim.
Safely Recovering From a Slip and Fall Injury
Creating a plan for full recovery from your slip and fall accident can be one of the most challenging steps in the process. However, it’s also one of the most important steps to take as you build your legal case.
According to industry data, slip and fall accidents lead to approximately $70 billion in medical expenses and workers’ compensation payouts each year in the U.S.
Stick to your Treatment Plan
Your doctor’s treatment plan isn’t a set of loose guidelines. It’s a full court press on your part to follow their directions as best you can and to provide documentation for legal purposes.
In order to do that, you must do the following:
- Keep every appointment you have with all of your medical providers
- Take all medications as directed, at the prescribed times, and do not alter dosages without your doctor’s approval.
- Complete any physical therapy prescribed by your doctors, and avoid activities that can further harm you or delay your recovery.
- Report back to your doctors with any changes in your condition.
Missing a single medical appointment can give the insurance company the ammunition it needs to deny or reduce your claim based on lack of effort or concern for your condition.
Keep Records
Record keeping becomes one of your best friends during this process as it provides additional proof of all the medical care you’re receiving. In addition to your official medical records, be sure to keep track of the following things on your own:
- A daily record of pain levels and other symptoms.
- A record of your daily activities and how your injuries are affecting you.
- The amount of work you’ve missed due to your injuries
- A running tab of all medical expenses, including copays, parking fees, and even gas to get to and from appointments.
The more records you keep for yourself, the stronger your case is likely to be.
Communicate with your legal team
If you’ve retained the services of a personal injury attorney, be sure to keep them in the loop with your recovery progress. They’ll be in a better position to help ensure you’re getting appropriate care as well as building your case simultaneously.
Wrapping it All Up
You have two years from the date of your accident to file a claim, so you might think you have all the time in the world. But take every possible step to ensure your health is in tip-top condition and all of your medical documentation is in order as soon as possible. The sooner you begin, the better.
You’ll be surprised to find out that by just taking care of your own health and following your treatment plan, you’ve already gone a long way in building your legal case as well.
Your health is your most important asset, so take care of it and don’t let anyone, including insurance companies or lawyers, rush you into making decisions about your case that are not in your best interests.