If you have been injured in an accident at a shopping mall, there are a series of steps you should take no matter what the circumstances. If you follow these steps and it is then found that the mall, or the corporation that owns the mall, is responsible for your injuries, you may be able to seek damages to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, future lost earnings, and a variety of other financial factors.
Property owners and managers of a public space have an obligation to ensure that their guests have a safe environment, and they must fix issues or warn about hazards as soon as possible. Take a look at this list of things to do after a shopping center accident, and contact an injury attorney in Atlanta today to discuss your options.
Notify the Management
As soon as you are injured, it is important that the management of the property is notified. If your injuries are not severe enough that you are unable to do so yourself, get in contact with them as soon as possible. Additionally, be sure that there is a full incident report that is filled out that includes all relevant details to your accident. If your injuries are too serious and you require serious medical attention immediately, follow up with management when you are able to, or have a representative contact them as soon as possible.
Get Medical Help
No matter how severe or minor your injury may seem at the outset, it is a good idea to get medical assistance. The record of your visit will be helpful evidence if you decide to file a lawsuit. Remember, it is better to seek assistance than to learn later on that your injuries are more severe than you thought, and can not prove that they were not pre-existing. Just like in the incident report from mall management, it is important to gather as many details as possible.
Request Security Tapes
It is highly likely that your accident was captured on one of the many security cameras that are scattered across a shopping center. Check with security or management as soon as possible to see if there is a film, and request a copy for future proof if you move forward with a claim.
Document All Medical Expenses
Finally, be sure to keep excellent record of all expenses that arise as a result of your injury. Personal injury law in Atlanta starts with requesting damages for medical expenses, and from there, additional factors will play into the final amount that you will include in a claim. Your lawyer will use these bills as an indicator of the severity of your injury, which means that the expenses will not only be factored into your initial amount, but will also be supporting evidence to illustrate your condition to the court.
Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer
If your injury persists, or if you incur any medical bills or other expenses as a result of the accident, contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. They will work with you to make sense of the situation, understand your options, and work with you to submit a claim or file a personal injury lawsuit. The help of an experienced professional will be extremely helpful, but if you do the aforementioned steps along with hiring a lawyer, your case will be as strong as possible.
