Like your neighbors, you regularly visit shopping centers, entertainment venues and other places. If a shop owner does not mop up spills, repair damaged flooring or take additional steps to keep the place safe, you may sustain a serious injury in a slip-and-fall accident.
Falls are a leading cause of injury in the U.S., with as many as 300,000 injured individuals seeking emergency medical care for falls every year. To boost your chances of receiving financial compensation from the store owner who contributed to your fall, take these four types of photographs after your accident.
1. The hazard
Provided you can do so without endangering yourself, take some photographs of the hazard that caused you to slip, trip or fall. Remember, because someone at the store may clean or repair the hazard, you may only have a limited opportunity to photograph it.
2. The entire scene
Shop owners may try to disclaim liability by posting warning signs. Therefore, you should also take some photographs of the entire accident scene. Doing so provides a more complete picture of the environment that caused your injuries.
3. Your injuries
While your medical records are likely to describe your injuries in technical terms, a photograph may put them into a personal context. Accordingly, you should take some initial photographs of your injuries and continue to photograph them through your recovery.
4. Injury-related accommodations
You may need to build a ramp, install grab bars, use a wheelchair or access other accommodations to manage life after your injury. Photographs of injury-related accommodations may show the impact your injury has on your life.
Ultimately, while your financial recovery depends on many factors, photographs of injury-related accommodations and other relevant subjects tell a story that words alone may not convey.
