What to do if you sustain an injury on someone else’s property
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What to do if you sustain an injury on someone else’s property

On Behalf of | Aug 7, 2020 | Personal Injury

If you are a guest, customer, invitee or even a trespasser, you may hurt yourself on someone else’s property. California law may allow you to pursue financial compensation for your injury from the property owner. 

To boost your chances of receiving the funds you need to recover completely, you must act diligently after your injury. Taking three simple steps may help. 

1. Go to the doctor 

During an accident, your body’s stress response may temporarily mask injury symptoms. Accordingly, you should always visit a physician after sustaining a potential injury. This is true even if you believe your injury is minor. 

2. Document the accident scene

To receive financial compensation from the property owner, you may need to prove negligence, willful misconduct or another type of malfeasance. Documenting the accident scene is key. 

To ensure your documentation is useful, take the following steps: 

  • Write a narrative about how your injury happened when your memory is fresh. 
  • Take photographs of the accident scene, your injuries and other relevant items. 
  • Gather the names and contact details for all potential witnesses. 
  • Retain medical records, incident reports and other pertinent information. 

3. Notify the property owner

As soon as you are able, inform the property owner of your injury. If the owner is a private party, sending written notification probably makes sense. For business owners, though, you may need to use a formal report form. 

After suffering an injury on someone else’s property, you need to receive financial compensation as quickly as possible. When you notify the property owner and take a couple other important steps, you jump-start your legal and physical recovery process.