Posted On November 24, 2016 Personal Injury

Always Report a Slip and Fall on Ice

After a slip and fall on ice, you don’t need any reminders that the accident actually happened. You have more than enough evidence to jog your memory – the pain your injuries continue to cause you, the medical bills stemming from the accident, your memories of the trauma. You might be surprised to find that the insurance company you’re pursuing a claim against wants proof of your fall – proof beyond what you say about how the accident happened and how it has affected your life.

The insurance company wants something it can consider objective, impartial, and authoritative. If you don’t have that something, it can be difficult to prove your claim and get what you deserve. That’s why it’s so important that when you slip and fall on ice, you report it to someone official.

• If your fall happened on a commercial property, bring it to the attention of management of that property immediately, whether it happened inside or outside. The staff should fill out or have you fill out some kind of incident report. If you’re asked to sign the report, don’t – staff won’t tell you this, but you have no obligation to sign anything. Request a copy of the incident report. You probably won’t get one at this stage, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
• If you fell in a parking lot, report it to the management of the nearest business or other entity. It could be the parking lot owner’s responsibility, rather than that of any specific tenant in the building or complex. The only way to find out, and to document your fall, is to ask.
• Did you know that you can call the police to the scene of an accident, even if it doesn’t involve motor vehicles? If your fall took place on a residential property where there’s no management to report it too – especially if the property owner isn’t present – reporting the accident to the police could be the only way to have it officially documented. Don’t worry that you’re somehow wasting officers’ time – when you’re seriously hurt, you need to take the situation seriously, and so should the police.