If you sustain an injury on someone else’s property in Michigan, what you do next matters. For better or worse, the truth of the matter is that the steps you take in the immediate aftermath of the accident can significantly impact any legal claim you may be entitled to file down the road. Property owners and their insurance companies will start working to protect themselves right away, so you should be doing the same.
Read on to learn what you should do after an injury on another person’s property in Michigan, including how a Sterling Heights premises liability lawyer can help you.
Report the Accident
Notify the property owner or manager about what happened before you leave. If the accident took place at a business, ask them to create a written incident report and get a copy for yourself.
You should also stick to the facts when explaining what happened and be careful about speculating. Under Michigan’s comparative negligence law, anything you say that suggests you share some of the blame could reduce what you’re able to recover.
See a Doctor Right Away
Get medical attention as soon as you can, even if you feel okay in the moment. Injuries like concussions and soft tissue damage don’t always produce immediate symptoms. Seeing a doctor promptly also creates a medical record linking your injuries to the accident, which is essential for your claim.
Document the Scene
If your condition allows, pull out your phone and start collecting evidence before you leave.
Useful evidence to collect includes:
- Photos and videos of the hazard that caused your slip and fall as well as your injuries
- Footage of the surrounding area showing whether warning signs were present
- Contact information for anyone who saw what happened
- Notes about the date and time
The more you document in real time, the harder it becomes for the property owner to dispute what happened later on.
Be Careful With the Insurance Company
The property owner’s insurer will likely reach out to you soon after the accident. They’ll seem concerned, but their goal is to close your claim for as little as possible. Keep the following in mind:
- Don’t give a recorded statement without talking to a lawyer first
- Don’t sign anything they send you before having it reviewed
- Don’t accept an early settlement offer while you’re still in treatment
- Don’t post about your accident or injuries on social media
Early settlement offers almost never reflect the true value of your claim. Let an attorney handle these interactions so nothing you say gets used against you.
Save Your Records
Keep every document related to your accident organized and accessible, meaning everything from medical bills to correspondence with the property owner. Thorough documentation strengthens your negotiating position and makes it harder for the other side to challenge the value of your claim.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Michigan Premises Liability Attorney
The evidence that matters most in premises liability cases doesn’t last long. An experienced personal injury attorney with Khamo Law can step in early to preserve what matters and start building your claim while everything is still fresh.
Contact us today for a free consultation at (248) 466-0606 or reach out to us online. We’ve recovered over $30 million for our clients and work on contingency, so you only pay attorney’s fees if we win compensation for you.