Nearly a million elevators are in service in the US, and only about 10,000 people a year are injured by one. That makes elevator travel one of the safest forms of transportation available. None of that matters, however, if you are one of those 10,000 people. If the accident was caused by someone else’s misconduct, then you have a personal injury claim. What you do in the first few days after the accident, however, could drastically affect the value of your claim.

What to Do First

Take the following steps as soon as you are able to. If your injuries prevent this, have a friend do it for you.

• Get medical attention immediately. Many elevator injuries are related to the spine or soft tissue. These kind of injuries may not seem serious at first, because symptoms are often delayed. If you wait until serious symptoms appear, you are inviting the other side to claim that your injury was not caused by the accident. Another reason to seek immediate medical attention is that it will help you document your claim for evidentiary purposes.
• Photograph the aftermath of the accident, including the elevator itself as well as your injuries.
• Don’t mention your accident on Facebook, Twitter or anywhere else on the Internet, because insurance companies love to monitor the social media accounts of personal injury claimants looking for something they can use as evidence. Don’t accept friend requests from strangers, set your account to maximum privacy, and warn your friends not to post about the accident.
• Report the accident to the owner of the building where the accident occurred and to your insurance company. Be sure to report only minimal information about the accident, because “anything you say can and will be used against you…”
• Write out a detailed description of the accident while it is still fresh in your memory – just don’t put it online or email it to anybody.
• Keep your medical bills and as well as all other documentation relating to the accident, because courts love documentary evidence. Be sure to keep records and receipts of all expenses you incurred that are related to your accident – even childcare expenses while you are in the hospital.
• Retain the services of an experienced Kentucky elevator accident lawyer s soon as possible. Don’t worry whether or not you can afford it – at Glenn Martin Hammond, you only pay us if you win.

The Statute of Limitations Clock is Ticking…

The statute of limitations sets a deadline for you to file a lawsuit, and in practical terms, even a private settlement must be finalized and signed by this deadline. In Kentucky the deadline is only one year after the accident – one of the most stringent deadline sin the nation.

Contact Kentucky personal injury lawyer Glenn Martin Hammond immediately by calling (606) 437-7777 or by filling out our online contact form. We serve clients in Lexington, Pikeville, Winchester, Paris and elsewhere in the state of Kentucky.