Moving from one place to another in search of various services is unavoidable. On some days, you may discover that you have been to up to ten different buildings in a single day. In the process of moving from premise to premise, there are chances that you may get injured, sometimes even fatally.
For those who live in rented apartments whereby the landlord or property managers maintain the place, your home might be a huge safety risk. An accident as simple as slipping and falling could lead to severe injuries that will drain your finances heavily. However, if the injury sustained was due to the negligence of the premise owner, you may sue them and get compensated for your injuries, suffering, and loss. Here are some tips on getting compensation for a premise injury.
How to Get Compensated for Your Premise Injury
Winning premise injury compensation is not so easy. But with these tips, you may increase your chances of getting full compensation for your losses.
1. Prove You Were Rightfully Present
In a business, there are three categories of visitors:
The Invitees
These are the people who have either personally or generally received an invitation to be within the business premise, including customers, contractors, employees, and any other people with a business purpose to be in the premises. Liability claims cover invitees.
The Licensees
This category refers to the people who have permission to be there although not in an official capacity. For instance, the manager’s children or friends who come visiting. They too are covered.
Trespassers
These are people who have no reason to be within the premises and are often there illegally. Although some states require that they be compensated in case of an injury, most of them do not include them in the compensation.
2. Prove the Business Was to Blame
To get compensated, you will be required to prove that the injuries sustained were as a result of the management’s negligence. You will therefore need to prove that they knew there was a risk and failed to work on it.
3. Build Up Evidence
You cannot win your case without evidence to back up your claim. Focus on gathering evidence for this case and it will increase your compensation chances.
4. Discuss with Your Lawyer
It is not advisable to make major decisions about the case by yourself. You will need a professional lawyer like those at the Halperin Law Center to guide you through and help fight the settlement battles against insurance adjusters.
How to Properly Capture Evidence
1. Get Immediate Medical Care
As soon as you can after your injury, ask for help and call the management. Request to be taken to the hospital if you are critically injured. Even if your injuries are minor, you should ensure you are examined to make sure you are ok; you never know if more is going on internally than you may realize.
2. Request an Incident Report
Have the manager write an incident report on what happened and what led to the accident. This will come in very handy later on as you try and get your settlement.
3. Gather Witness Statements
Ensure you have gotten the name and contact details of any witness that observed your accident. These people will foster credibility.
4. Take Photos
Taking photos of the injuries and the cause of the accident is very important as it helps save evidence for future use
When to Hire a Lawyer
When dealing with minor injuries such as cuts, bruises or minor fractures, you could opt to settle the compensations directly with the insurance company without involving a lawyer. However, if your injuries were fatal or costly to treat such as spinal injuries, severe brain damage or other permanent injuries, you will need a lawyer.
