Slip and fall accidents are the common name for an area of law called premises liability. If you’re on someone else’s property and you get harmed, the owner may be responsible for what happened. A quick call to our Melbourne personal injury lawyers can tell you if this is the case.
Property owners that neglect their properties create hazardous conditions that could harm people. We hold those owners accountable by demanding compensation for victims. Call the aggressive attorneys of the Schiller Kessler Group to learn your legal options.
What Is Necessary to Prove a Slip and Fall Injury?
There are conditions you must meet to make a claim of a slip and fall injury or any other premises liability accident. The first is the accident must take place on someone else’s property. This could be a friend’s house, a place of business, or even a public park.
Whoever owns the property is responsible for its care and upkeep. If they leave a hazard that can harm someone, or fail to warn someone of a hazard, they could be held liable if anyone gets hurt on it. That’s why businesses have wet floor signs and other warnings of dangers.
Finally, you must be injured by the hazard. There must be an injury to make an accident claim. If you slip and catch yourself without injury, you probably won’t have a case even if it was scary at the time.
A trip, slip, or fall can cause broken bones, sprains, and even head injuries. Sometimes people even die from these accidents, like if someone slips in a nursing home. If our Melbourne slip and fall accident lawyers can prove these three conditions, you have a case.
More people choose The Schiller Kessler Group because they know that we’re a cut above other personal injury law firms.
Who Could Be Liable in My Accident?
A premises liability claim may have multiple liable parties. This is good for victims because there may be multiple insurance policies and ways to get compensation for injuries. The property owner is the most common person, but a property occupier, a contractor, a maintenance company, and even an architect could be liable.
SKG has represented hundreds of clients in slip and fall cases against places of all kinds and sizes, including supermarkets, office buildings, schools, restaurants, and more. Each one may be unique, but our lawyers are up to the challenge.
Even if your injury happened on private property, we can still help you. Our attorneys can find out if the homeowner or landlord has insurance that will cover what happened and help you make a claim. If they don’t, we will investigate if they have the assets necessary to pay for your injuries.
No matter what time of day it is, you can contact The Schiller Kessler Group to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
Things to Do after a Slip and Fall Accident
If at all possible, do the following when you’ve been the victim of a slip and fall accident. Doing these things will protect your right to recover compensation. That said, sometimes injuries are so great that you cannot do these. If so, we can still help you.
Report the Accident
You should immediately tell someone who manages the property or someone who can pass the message along that you’ve been injured. The police may help you find out who it is. Get an accident report from a representative of the property or the police before you go.
Document What Happened
The evidence of a slip and fall accident can quickly get cleaned up, so act quickly to document what happened with your phone. Take photos of the scene, your clothing, any warning signs, injuries, and the hazard. All of this is valuable for our Melbourne slip and fall accident attorneys.
Store Evidence for Later
Your clothing can become valuable evidence. Do not wash your clothes when you get home. Instead, store anything you were wearing in a plastic bag and seal it. Blood and other substances on your clothing can prove you were injured. It may even become evidence in court if your case goes there.
Get Witness Information
Try to get the contact information and names of anyone who saw your accident. The police and our investigators can follow up with them to learn what they saw. Do not ask them questions about your accident though. Witness statements are most useful when they’re unbiased.
Get Medical Care
Adrenaline may hide the injuries you’ve suffered from a slip and fall. You should seek medical treatment as soon as possible after your accident even if you feel fine. Tell the doctor you fell and reveal any pain or discomfort you’re feeling.
This will document your injuries and may preserve your health by catching a hidden injury. Afterward, do whatever the doctor says. If you’re worried about the cost of care, you can add it into the damages of your slip and fall claim. Do not ignore any pain or downplay your discomfort.
Contact a Lawyer
After these steps, it’s time to contact a Melbourne slip and fall attorney for advice. We can tell you if you have a case and what your next steps need to be to get compensation. Our role is to be your guide and advocate through the legal process.
Reach Out to Schiller Kessler Group for Help After a Fall
It may feel impossible to sue someone like a school or a big business after you’ve harmed yourself on their property. You need an expert, and you can find one through the Schiller Kessler Group. We have achieved significant results for clients in slip and fall cases.
Let us handle your legal claim while you focus on recovery. Contact us to get a free case evaluation today. Our attorneys work on contingency; if you do not win your case, then you owe us nothing. There is no risk, so contact us as soon as possible to learn your legal options.
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