Because you have an active retirement, you regularly leave home to visit shops, restaurants, theaters and other places. If a property owner does not keep the premises safe and clean, though, you may sustain a serious injury in a slip-and-fall accident.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that around three million older Americans require emergency medical care after a fall. If you suffer an injury in a slip-and-fall accident, taking three types of photographs may improve your chances of receiving financial compensation.
1. The hazard
Before taking any photograph after a slip, trip or fall, you must be sure snapping photos does not put you in additional danger. If it does, you may need to ask a companion to document the incident.
Otherwise, you should try to capture the hazard that caused you to fall. This may be water, ice, damaged flooring, an upturned rug or something else.
2. The complete scene
You do not want a property owner to claim you disregarded warning signs or otherwise contributed to your injuries. Therefore, you may want to use your smartphone camera to photograph the entire accident scene.
Taking photographs from a few different angles may be the most effective way to document the cause of your slip, trip or fall.
3. Your injuries
Finally, even though doing so may seemingly invade your privacy, you should also consider photographing your injuries. After all, while your medical records may describe your injuries in technical terms, photographs often show the human side of suffering.
When photographing your injuries, do not forget to capture your recovery process. Photographs of medical devices, therapy sessions and even home modifications may demonstrate how much your slip-and-fall injuries have affected your life.
