Getting injured is never a fun event. Broken bones, internal fractures, injuries sustained for weeks upon weeks. No one likes pain, and few like to see it either. However, it does occur, and sometimes in the worst ways possible, as those that make it occur sometimes wish to not take responsibility for it.

This is especially true when dealing with an injury you sustain on someone else's property. Depending on the type of injury, and how it occurred, the property manager or owner may be liable for compensation, and yet wish to not take responsibility. In these situations, you must know the steps to take when injured on someone else's property.

Identify and remedy the injury and cause of injury

The first thing to do when dealing with an injury on another person's property is to identify what the cause of injury was. Did the injury occur due to an unstable foundational setting? Were the steps that were used have an obvious fault that caused the injury? Or was it due to a spill that happened to be left and unclean that caused the injury to occur?

Whichever is the reason for the injury, making sure to first, make a note of what caused the injury, and then seeking medical attention for the injury, should be the first and utmost priority for the victim. Not only will this help accelerate the period of time between getting a test done, and getting the results, but it will also ensure the injured party is able to be treated properly for any possible latent or current injuries.

Inform the owner of the property of the accident in question

Once medical attention has been received by the injured party, it is important to notify the owner of the property, or the group owning the property, that an accident has occurred on the premises. This is if they have not already been contacted, or were not at the scene during the occurrence.

Informing the property owner will help ensure that they understand that a liability has occurred on their property. This can also help to exclude any attempt of theirs to either feign ignorance or attempt to push that the injured party were not severely injured, as the injury was not reported immediately. Both would be a possible scenario that the property owner may be able to use to bypass paying compensation.

Gather witness testimonies

Once the incident is taken care of, attempt to reach out and contact those that were on site during the accident. Personal witness testimonies will help to solidify the story, and can help bolster a client's case against the property owner, who may attempt to twist and muddy the words of the injured. In this case, having 3rd party accounts from people such as an eye witness can help bring clarity to the case.

It is important to note that not all cases will have eyewitnesses available to talk to. If this is the case, then do not worry too much, and focus on the other steps given.

Take pictures and photos of incident area

In many cases, a picture is worth a thousand words. In cases such as these, this is even more important. As written testimonies and reports sometimes do not give a clear indication of what has happened, a picture captures only what is in the world, and only what is going on at the scene.

In many cases, the injured party may wish to photograph the scene outright, to ensure that the cause of the injury is captured without the property manager attempting to fix it immediately. However, in cases where the injury occurred due to faulty architecture or leniency in safety procedures that are more long-term, it is possible to not get the pictures right away, and to still be able to go back and photograph them later.

Hire an Attorney

Once the information has been reported, and the injured party believes that they have a case against the property owner, hiring an attorney to get the case on track will be important. As soon as possible, hire a San Diego slip and fall lawyer or premises liability attorney that is well versed in injuries on properties.

The attorney will ensure that all information, such as eyewitness accounts, medical reports, and photographs and pictures, are properly ordered, maintained, and filed, to ensure maximum quality for the case. Not only that, they can be used to negotiate and contact the other parties involved, without giving out any information that may harm or undermine the case at hand.

Complete reports on injuries, subsequent injuries

The final task is to never stop taking down notes, reports, or accounts throughout the entire process. This includes any injuries or medical conditions that may occur days, or even weeks, after the initial accident.

The reason for this is that, due to the nature of the accident, a court may deem fit that the property manager also compensate for the internal injury that appeared. These types of injuries can be seen in the form of muscle loss, weakness or slower motor functions, and many and all brain functionality complications. If these complications, which sometimes manifest later on during the healing period, are spotted at any point, the injured may have a right to include that in their compensation claim.

If you were injured on someone else's property, feel free to contact us at 1-800-219-3577. We are experienced San Diego slip and fall lawyers and premises liability attorneys.  We will give you a free no obligation case evaluation.