What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident: A Step-by-Step Guide
A slip and fall can happen anywhere: a wet grocery aisle, an icy entryway, a broken stair. In the moment it is easy to feel embarrassed and brush it off, but the steps you take right after a fall protect both your health and your right to recover. Here is exactly what to do.
Report the fall to the property owner and ask for an incident report, document the hazard with photos before it is cleaned up, get medical care, and keep your records. To recover, you generally must show the property owner knew or should have known about a dangerous condition and failed to fix it.
Step by step after a fall
Check for injuries and get safe
Move carefully and get help if you are seriously hurt.
Report it
Notify the owner or manager and ask that a written incident report be created. Get a copy if possible.
Document the scene
Photograph the hazard such as the spill, ice, or defect, and your surroundings before anything is cleaned up.
Get witnesses and care
Collect witness contacts and see a doctor promptly, even if you feel okay.
What makes a slip and fall claim
Property owners must keep their premises reasonably safe. A valid claim generally requires showing a dangerous condition existed, the owner knew or should have known about it, they failed to fix or warn, and it caused your injury. Not every fall is someone else’s fault, but many are.
Common slip and fall hazards
- Wet or freshly mopped floors without warning signs.
- Ice and snow left on walkways.
- Uneven flooring, torn carpet, or broken stairs.
- Poor lighting that hides a hazard.
- Cluttered walkways and loose mats.