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Did you slip or trip and fall somewhere unsafe? Here is what to do next

Falling in public is embarrassing, and many people blame themselves first. We do not.

Are you in an emergency right now?

  • Check yourself for injuries, breathing, and bleeding.
  • Call 911 if you are badly hurt or cannot move safely.
  • Get medical care even if you feel fine. Some injuries, like a herniated disc, hide for days.
  • This page is for after you are safe.

This page covers slip and fall deadlines and what to do right now. We are the injured person's advocate. We connect you with a lawyer who handles cases like yours, so you get the full settlement your recovery deserves. Always free. Talk to an advocate. We usually reply within minutes, at most one business day.

Why slip and fall claims get tricky

Slip and fall cases often turn into a blame game. Property owners and their insurers may argue the fall was your fault, that you were not watching where you were walking, or that the hazard was "open and obvious." Proving the property owner knew or should have known about the danger, and failed to fix it, takes evidence gathered quickly, before it disappears.

Warning: don't wait! A government-property deadline is a trap. Falls on a public sidewalk or city building can carry a special notice deadline as short as 90 days, far shorter than a typical injury deadline, and missing it can end your claim before you even file. And important: if your fall involved a medical issue, a separate, often shorter medical deadline may apply too.

Insurance adjusters may also reach out fast with a small settlement offer before you know the full extent of your injury. Some injuries, like a herniated disc, do not show up until well after the fall.

Talk to an advocate. You do not have to sort out deadlines and insurance offers alone.

What to do in the first days

  1. Get your injury documented by a doctor, even if you think it is just a bruise. This record supports your claim.
  2. Talk to an advocate at WeHelpInjured. It is free.
  3. Report the fall to the property owner, manager, or landlord, and ask for a written incident report.
  4. Take photos of exactly what caused the fall, such as a spill, broken step, or uneven surface, before it gets cleaned up or fixed.
  5. Get names and contact information for any witnesses.
  6. Write down the date, time, and exact location while you remember it.
  7. Find out if the property is government-owned, since a special short deadline may apply.
  8. Never sign anything from an insurance company before you understand what it gives away.
  9. Never give a recorded statement to an insurance company, even your own. Talk to your advocate first.

Why waiting or going it alone can cost you

People who negotiate their own slip and fall settlement in the days right after a fall sometimes sign a release that gives up all claims, "known and unknown," forever, before they know the full extent of the injury. When a more serious injury shows up later, courts generally hold people to the release they already signed, even when the medical bills far outpace the original settlement.

Nobody does anything wrong by trying to handle it themselves. The system is simply unforgiving to a rushed decision, which is exactly why an advocate helps before you sign anything.

What we can help with

All of it is free to you. We never take money from injured people.

Talk to an advocate. Let us help you figure out your next step.

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