A sidewalk injury or parking lot injury may give rise to a premises liability claim under the umbrella policy for the business owner. Your personal injury attorney will need to know the conditions that existed at the time, as well as how the injury occurred. North Carolina has unique rules regarding a plaintiff’s contribution to the injury. This concept is known as Contributory Negligence. In order to rule out contributory negligence, your attorney may ask you about the following:
Your shoes or footwear;
Your alcohol consumption;
The weather;
The nature of your visit to the sidewalk or parking lot;
The condition of the sidewalk or parking lot
Documenting Your Injury
If you slip and fall or trip and fall on a sidewalk or in a parking lot, you’ll want to preserve as much factual evidence as possible from the scene. This can be done by taking photographs, gathering the names and phone numbers of any witnesses to the fall, and writing down information about the incident so that you don’t forget in the future.
Prior to leaving the site, take steps to document the injury with any on-site management or employees. If your accident was at a gas station, restaurant, or retail store, those facilities should have a process for submitting an accident report. This will help create a record of your fall. If no one is on site, look for a phone number posted for contacting the property owner. You’ll often find these in public places like parking garages and shopping malls.
Seeking Medical Attention
Quite often, it’s hard to tell if you have a serious injury just after falling or tripping. While the safest choice is always to call an ambulance or medic and get medical attention immediately, that is not always practical. Regardless, if at any time after the fall you believe you have an injury, that is the time to seek medical attention.
Talk To A Personal Injury Attorney
Personal injury attorneys want your call. They will gladly answer questions you may have about your injury, dealing with insurance adjusters, and paying medical bills. Answering questions is part of the job, whether the individual decides to hire the law firm or not. If you’ve slipped or fallen and believe you are injured, let us help you decide your next steps. You can call us at 704.749.7747 or request a phone consultation HERE.