You’ve heard that joke about the bride, right? She’s all dressed in white, but when she’s on her way down the aisle, she slips on a banana peel and goes for a ride.
But slip and falls aren’t anything to laugh about. And whoever dropped their old banana skin in a church aisle could actually find themselves liable for legal action.
A slip and fall – literally slipping and falling – can happen to anyone, anywhere. Slipping on a grape or puddle of water in the supermarket, tripping on a step at a friend’s house, or rolling your ankle on an uneven patch of footpath. Most of the time, it’s easy enough to get up, brush yourself off and get on with your day. But a slip and fall can result in serious injuries, which may impact your ability to work.
Hurt yourself in a slip and fall? Here’s what you need to know.
If you find yourself in a situation where you’ve injured yourself after a fall in a public place, it’s important to know what steps to take.
1. Report it
First up, report the accident and your injuries to the shop, council or management where the incident occurred as soon as you can.
2. Photograph it
Take a photograph(s) of the area where you fell, what you slipped on, if there was or was not a sign visible, and any other important aspect of the location.
3. See your doctor
Get yourself to a doctor and receive the appropriate treatment as quickly as possible too.
4. Call a lawyer – like us!
If you’re unable to work and want to take legal action, now’s the time to get in touch with a lawyer – and that’s where we step in. We’ll talk you through your options and help you with any compensation you may be eligible for.
5. Keep up with your medical appointments
In the days and weeks after your accident, it’s essential that you continue following the advice of your doctor, attending all scheduled appointments, including any rehabilitation, if required. Make sure you keep all your receipts for out of pocket expenses so we can request reimbursement from the respondent.
How are slip and fall claims made?
In Queensland, slip and fall claims are dealt with under the Personal Injuries Proceedings Act QLD 2002 (PIPA). If you’ve sustained injuries, this means you may be in a position to claim compensation, as long as you can establish that a third party is responsible for your accident.
Legally, making a PIPA claim can be a long and pretty complicated journey, but that’s where we can help. We know our way around pre-court procedures, and will be able to help out with drafting the relevant documents to assist in your claim.
Compensation considerations
Compensation is generally made based on a number of heads of damages, such as pain and suffering, past and future economic loss, past and future special damages and gratuitous care and assistance. It’s impossible for us to know which of these considerations may factor into your claim when your case is picked up, so these will all need to be assessed by medical and other professionals.
We’re here to help
If this all sounds confusing, don’t worry. We’ll make sure you understand what everything means, and keep you across how your assessment is progressing throughout the stages of your claim.
Filing a personal injury claim is stressful, but it’s our bread and butter. As soon as you get in touch about your slip and fall injury, we’ll take on as much of the load as we can, and make the process as simple – and painless – as possible. No joke.