Being on vacation is a time for fun and making memories, so getting injured is usually the last thing on people’s mind. Unfortunately, injuries and accidents happen when you least expect it. As a result, it’s important to know what steps you need to take if this happens. Keep in mind, even if it’s minor, you should contact a professional, like Tampa personal injury attorney to see if you have a good case or not. With that said, here are 7 steps you should take if you’re injured while on vacation.
Call 911/Notify Someone
The first thing you want to do is make sure you call 911 or notify someone. Not only will this get you the help you need, but it will also show that you thought it was serious enough to report it. Remember, if you don’t report it, you won’t have a case because there won’t be a paper trail of your injury. If you’re in public, call 911 and if you’re in a restaurant or hotel, contact the manager on duty. From there, you’ll be able to figure out if you need more medical treatment.
Listen to EMTs or Police
One the EMTs or police show up, it’s crucial that you listen and do exactly what they say. Not only does this show that you just wanted help, but they tell you to do things to ensure your safety. Even if you don’t think what they’re saying makes sense or seems like it’s needed, it’s important to just follow their directions and take whatever steps or advise they tell you to.
Collect Information
Once you’ve done the above things, the next thing you want to do is collect information. Make sure you collect all that you can and try and cover all bases. If you’re in public or in a car accident, get the location of where you’re at and the names of any other people involved. If you’re at a restaurant or hotel, get the name and location of the establishment, as well as the names of the managers and other employees on duty.
Document the Scene
You also want to make sure you document the scene. This includes writing down what you see, as well as taking pictures. In addition to taking pictures of the actual area where the accident occurred, you also want to take photos of any of your personal belongings to ensure they get back to you. A good rule of thumb is if you aren’t sure if you have enough documentation, try and get more. As long as everything is well documented and photographed, you’ll be just fine.
Seek Medical Care
Even if you aren’t sure whether or not you need it, it would be a good idea to seek medical care. This is especially true because you never know what might be going on inside the body or in areas that you can’t really see. Even if it turns out that there’s nothing going on, you’ll at least have that piece of mind and feel better knowing that you did get checked out and nothing was missed.
Keep Medical Records
Even if the trip to the hospital or clinic didn’t turn up any results, you want to make sure you save any medical records. If possible, you should also ask for a copy of any reports or tests that were done. Keep in mind, even if you don’t think it’s important, you still want to keep everything. If you can, you should put all the medical information in a folder or binder to make sure it’s safe and secure in one place.
Talk to a personal injury attorney
Finally, it’s a good idea to reach out to a personal injury attorney. Not only will they help you figure out if you have a case, but they’ll be able to help you with the next steps if you do. It’s important to take all of the information and documentation with you, so they can get a good feel for the case.
Now that you know the steps to take and the importance of contacting a professional, like a Tampa personal injury attorney, you should be able to enjoy your vacation. While you hope it never happens, it’s important to be prepared and ready in case it does. Make sure you do these things completely in order to cover all of your bases