Our natural instinct after a slip and fall is to immediately get up and walk away, likely because we are feeling embarrassed. Instead, take a moment to assess how you are feeling. Think about whether you need emergency help such as an ambulance. If there are witnesses or people walking by get their attention and ask them to call the paramedics.
If you are able to do so, start documenting where you fell by taking pictures and collecting witness information. Make note of the date, time and weather conditions.
Next, notify the property owner as soon as possible. If you’ve fallen on a city sidewalk make sure you put the City of notice within 10 days of the fall. This is a specific rule in the Municipal Act. If you’ve fallen on a retail property such as a grocery store make sure you notify the manager and make an incident report. We recommend notifying the property owner in writing.
You may decide that you do not want to bring a lawsuit for your injuries, but if you do, then you may want to consider taking these steps in order to protect your claim.
