(ThyBlackMan.com) Anyone can get hurt at any time through no fault of their own. Sometimes it’s simply an accident that no one could have prevented. But your injury can also be due to someone else’s negligence. Individuals and businesses both have responsibilities to protect anyone who comes onto their property. If someone gets hurt due to a safety issue, they may be responsible for paying damages. In some cases, there might also be criminal responsibility. For example, someone might have attacked you. Handling an incident if you get hurt on someone else’s property can be difficult. However, it may be necessary. For example, your medical insurance company might want to try and get someone else to pay.
Learn what to do if you get injured on a person’s or business’s property with this guide. Read the information available below to handle it properly.
Seek Medical Attention
Before you do anything else, you first need to seek medical help. You might think that you’re not injured, but some injuries can show up weeks or months later. Even if you don’t believe that you’ve hurt anything, make an appointment with your doctor for a check-up. Obviously, if you can see or feel that you are injured, you should get the appropriate treatment. You might need to go to the hospital or even call an ambulance to be taken there. Other injuries might be able to wait until you can get to a walk-in center. You might even be okay for a day or two until you can see your doctor.
Get Evidence
One of the reasons you should get medical attention is to get evidence. If you later want to pursue a civil case against the property owner, you need to have proof of your injuries. A report from your doctor is one of the things you can use to support your case. There are other types of evidence you should collect too. Taking photos is a good start, and you should capture both your injuries and the place where you were hurt. If you tripped, cut 
yourself, or something similar, take pictures of the area. Make sure you get photos of what you think may have caused your injury. You can take notes too, as evidence of what you recall happening. If there are any witnesses or important people (such as a store manager), make sure to get their contact details. Learn about how to document an accident at ALW.
Filing Reports
There are two types of report you might consider filing after you sustain an injury on someone else’s property. The first one is an incident report, which you might file if you’re in a business or other public place. Most companies have an internal process for dealing with accidents and injuries. However, you must be careful not to sign anything official. You don’t want to say anything about whose fault it might or might not have been. In some instances, you might need to file a police report. This is most likely if someone else has purposefully attacked you. In this case, you might want to report them for assault.
Know the Local Law
Before making any legal moves, you need to know about your local statute of limitations. You’ll find that it’s different everywhere, and you don’t want to miss the deadline. It’s better to try and sort everything out as soon as possible. But it might be hard to get things moving as quickly as you want. You might be having medical problems, or you may be struggling to fund your case. You would usually have at least two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. But it does vary depending on where you live. It’s essential to check how long you have so you know the last date you’re able to file.
Things to Avoid
As well as making sure you do several things if you get hurt, there are also things you shouldn’t do. For example, you should make sure you don’t sign anything unless you’ve sought legal advice first. A lawyer can tell you what your best options are before you make any moves. You might be contacted by an insurance company or an attorney representing the owner. You shouldn’t sign any release forms or other materials until you’ve run them past your own attorney. If you’re on a business’s premises, they might ask you to sign something on the spot. It’s best to claim a copy to show your lawyer before you sign it.
Finding Legal Counsel
Of course, you have to find a lawyer who will help you and provide you with advice. Some people already have someone they can contact, but many people don’t. The first thing you could do is think about whether you could be provided with a lawyer. For example, you may be able to get legal advice from your job or college. Some insurance providers might also be able to provide you with an attorney. Next, you can look for one yourself. Try asking friends and family if they can recommend anyone first. Visit BAC to find out what your attorney can do for you. You can ask some firms for a free consultation to determine if you have a chance of winning your case.
Funding Your Legal Fees
Some people may worry that they can’t afford to pay for a lawyer for their case. There are some ways of dealing with this. In some instances, it’s better to go ahead and fight your case to make sure you can pay off any damages. You might consider looking at attorneys who work on a no-win, no-fee basis. In these instances, you pay your lawyer from the settlement you’re given. Another option is to look for legal funding. Some companies will pay you a cash advance on the understanding that they will get it back when you win your case. You can also consider looking at some crowdfunding options. Visit FJ for one example of a service you can use.
If you are injured on someone else’s property, it’s important to act as quickly as you can. Be as thorough as possible in documenting the incident so you have a better chance of making your case.
Staff Writer; Charles Baker