Accidents can happen at any place that people gather, leading to liability for the property’s owner or manager. There are legal protections and insurance policies that protect people who get hurt in public spaces like a store, as well as the people who own or operate the business.
To bring a successful claim against a premises liability insurance policy for a business, you will need to connect provable financial losses to an incident at the store. Medical records from the day of the accident where you slip and fall at a business can help connect your injuries and the financial impact they have on your life with the slip-and-fall accident.
Even if you don’t intend to go to the doctor, you should report to a manager or the business owner when you fall while shopping in case you later discover that you need medical care.
The business will have a record of your accident
Most companies have standard forms and reporting policies in place for the exact situation where someone slips on a wet floor and falls in the store. Taking a comprehensive report about the location, the floor conditions, the witnesses present and other factors allows the business to best protect itself from spurious claims.
Choosing to make an incident report after you fall also protects you in the event that you need to bring a claim against the company’s insurance policy for your medical costs, property damage or lost wages. A slip-and-fall could leave you with a broken bone, a closed head injury, or a shattered cellphone or smartwatch.
By taking the time to file a report, you make it easier to file an insurance claim in the future and ensure there are official records that corroborate your claim of an accident.