Every year in Oklahoma, thousands of people are injured in slip and fall accidents. Although most premises owners, and their employees, diligently make sure that their premises are clear of any hazards that may cause injuries, people are often injured because the hazard went undetected or because the management had not been alerted to the fact that the hazard existed. This article explains what to do if you have a slip and fall case in Oklahoma.
If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, you may be wondering what you should do next. You are concerned about your injuries and you finances. You may be wondering who is going to pay for your medical expenses and lost wages, and who will compensate you for your pain and suffering. Here are a few tips to help you protect your legal right to be compensated for your injuries and losses.
- After you have sought appropriate medical care for your injuries, you should preserve any evidence of the accident.
- Locate any witnesses to the particular incident and write down their names and contact information.
- Contact a qualified personal injury attorney immediately.
Do not discuss the circumstances of the accident with anyone else besides your doctor. The insurance company may employ private investigators to obtain a statement from you that can possibly hurt your case in the long run.
A slip and fall case can be difficult to win in Oklahoma. Firstly, you have to prove you were injured by an unforeseen danger from which the owner of the premises had a duty to protect you. This means establishing that the owner actually knew about, or should have known about, the hazardous condition in the exercise of his or her ordinary duty of care as the owner of the premises. It can be difficult to prove this if you have no evidence of how the dangerous condition got there or how long it had been there.
Just because you did not see the condition that caused you to be injured does not mean that it was a hidden danger. Often, the condition that caused the fall can be open-and-obvious, like a spilled cola on a white floor, or a large hole or clearly visible obstruction. If you honestly did not see the hazard, you can still be prevented from recovering any damages if you weren’t paying attention to where you were going.
Because of the difficulties of proving a negligence and liability in a slip and fall case, it is important that you call an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible after the accident occurs.
Free Consultation: Oklahoma City Personal Injury Attorney
Waiting too long after a slip and fall case to notify the responsible party could cost you the opportunity to claim the compensation due to you. Before you lose the chance to recover your financial health, contact an Oklahoma City personal injury attorney to discuss details of your injury. For a no-cost consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer, call today at (405) 716-4878 (716-HURT).