What to Do Immediately After a Slip and Fall in Pennsylvania

Slip and fall accidents happen suddenly, but the impact can last for months—or even years. From painful injuries to mounting medical bills, a fall caused by unsafe property conditions can upend your life. Knowing what to do in the minutes, hours, and days after the incident can protect your health and strengthen your legal claim.

At Crichton Injury Law, we help injured individuals across Pennsylvania take action when property owners fail to maintain safe premises. If you’ve fallen on someone else’s property, here’s what you should do immediately.

Step 1: Get Medical Attention

Your safety comes first. Even if you don’t feel injured right away, many slip and fall injuries—like concussions, internal bleeding, or soft tissue damage—aren’t immediately obvious. Call 911 if necessary, or visit an urgent care center or hospital as soon as possible. Not only is this important for your health, but it also creates a medical record that can be critical for your claim.

Step 2: Report the Incident to the Property Owner

Whether you fell in a store, apartment building, parking garage, or private home, it’s important to report the fall right away. If you’re in a commercial location, ask to speak to a manager or supervisor and request a written incident report. Be clear, calm, and factual. Don’t speculate or admit fault, and avoid saying things like “I’m fine” or “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

Step 3: Document the Scene

Before you leave the property, if you’re physically able to do so:

• Take photos of the exact area where you fell
• Capture any hazardous conditions (wet floors, ice, debris, broken stairs, etc.)
• Photograph your clothing and shoes (they can later help disprove liability claims)
• Note the time, date, and lighting conditions
• Write down the names and contact information of any witnesses

Even if staff members clean up or fix the hazard shortly after, your photos could serve as crucial evidence that it existed at the time of your injury.

Step 4: Preserve Any Evidence

Hold onto anything that could help prove what happened, including:

• Your shoes and clothes (don’t wash them)
• Medical records and discharge papers
• Receipts for medications, braces, or mobility devices
• Copies of any reports or correspondence with the property owner or insurer

Keep a journal of your symptoms and limitations over time—these personal records can support claims for pain and suffering.

Step 5: Avoid Speaking With Insurance Companies on Your Own

The property owner’s insurance company may contact you quickly to discuss the fall or offer a small settlement. Be cautious. Their goal is often to minimize what they pay out.

Instead of giving a recorded statement or accepting a lowball offer, politely decline to comment until you’ve spoken to an attorney who handles slip and fall cases.

Step 6: Talk to a Slip and Fall Attorney in Pennsylvania

Proving fault in a slip and fall case often requires more than just saying you fell. You need to show that the property owner knew—or should have known—about the dangerous condition and failed to fix it. This can involve gathering maintenance records, surveillance footage, and witness testimony.



That’s where Crichton Injury Law can help. We investigate the facts, build strong cases, and fight to recover full compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain.