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A trip and fall may not seem like a big deal. However, it can lead to a number of different medical issues, including permanent damage to your body and your health. Plus, you could be responsible for high medical bills to treat your injuries.
Here’s some information on paying your medical bills after a trip and fall accident in Oregon, as well as why you should consider hiring a personal injury lawyer in Oregon.
Who Is Responsible for Paying the Trip and Fall Medical Bills?
If you get injured in a trip and fall accident, the responsible party might have to pay your medical bills… or you may have to. It all depends on the situation.
If you work with a personal injury lawyer and you’re able to prove that the trip and fall accident occurred due to the responsible party’s negligence, then that party may have to pay for your bills. The party could be a store owner, a property owner, or both. If you fell on a commercial property, the property owner would probably be the responsible party. If you fell at someone’s house, you’d need to pursue a settlement from their homeowner’s or renter’s insurance provider.
You might be responsible for paying your trip and fall accident medical bills if you were responsible for your injuries. For instance, maybe you were texting and walking at the same time, and you ended up tripping and falling. Then, it wasn’t the property owner’s fault.
Either way, at first, you’ll need to cover your medical bills. Then, once you receive a settlement, you can pay yourself back with that money or spend it however else you want.
What to Do After a Trip and Fall Accident
If you are injured, you may want to seek immediate medical help following your trip and fall accident. That way, you’ll show that you are actually injured and receiving care. You will be more likely to get a settlement from the insurance company if you seek out treatment right away and you keep up with your treatment plan.
It’s also important to collect proof of responsibility while you’re at the scene of the trip and fall accident. Take pictures and/or videos, collect witness statements, and note the locations of any video cameras. Report the accident to the potentially responsible party, like a store owner or property owner, as soon as it happens, and get a copy of your report in writing. If they offer you a settlement, do not take it. If the insurance company offers you a settlement, don’t take that either.
The settlement won’t be high enough, and if you take the first offer, you won’t be able to collect more later on. Instead, get in touch with a personal injury lawyer to pursue legal action against the party. They will negotiate to get you the settlement that’s rightfully yours. You can focus on your healing while your lawyer does the work.
Contact Zbinden & Curtis Today
Zbinden & Curtis, a Portland personal injury law firm, cares about accident victims, and we’re ready to help you with your trip and fall accident in Portland. We fight tooth and nail for our clients to get them the settlement they deserve in their time of need.
Contact us today to learn more by calling (503) 287-5000 or contacting us on our website for a free case evaluation. We look forward to hearing from you.
