A slip and fall can feel embarrassing at first. Many people pop up, say they are fine, and try to leave as quickly as possible. That is understandable. It is also usually a mistake.
A fall can cause serious injuries, including broken bones, torn ligaments, back injuries, neck injuries, concussions, hip fractures, shoulder injuries, knee injuries, and head trauma. Some symptoms are immediate. Others show up hours or days later.
If you fell at a store, apartment building, restaurant, hotel, sidewalk, parking lot, workplace, or another property in Pennsylvania, the steps you take afterward can matter. They can protect your health, preserve evidence, and help determine whether the property owner or another responsible party may be liable.
Here is what to do after a slip and fall in Pennsylvania.
Step 1: Check Yourself for Injuries
Before you move too quickly, take a second and assess what happened.
Ask yourself:
- Did I hit my head?
- Do I feel dizzy, confused, or nauseous?
- Am I bleeding?
- Can I put weight on my leg or foot?
- Do I have pain in my back, neck, hip, shoulder, knee, wrist, or ankle?
- Did I hear or feel a pop?
- Am I numb, weak, or tingling?
- Did I lose consciousness, even briefly?
If you are seriously hurt, do not try to tough it out. Ask someone to call 911.
The CDC warns that after a possible concussion or traumatic brain injury, danger signs can include a worsening headache, repeated vomiting, slurred speech, unusual behavior, confusion, seizures, weakness, numbness, loss of coordination, one pupil larger than the other, or loss of consciousness. Emergency medical care should be sought if these signs appear.
If you hit your head, fell hard, or feel “off,” get checked.
Step 2: Report the Fall Immediately
Report the fall before you leave the property.
Who you report it to depends on where the fall happened:
- Store manager
- Restaurant manager
- Hotel staff
- Landlord
- Property manager
- Apartment office
- Maintenance staff
- Security guard
- Business owner
- Government office
- Police, if necessary
Ask for an incident report. If they create one, request a copy before you leave.
If they will not give you a copy, write down:
- Who you reported it to
- Their job title
- The date and time
- What you told them
- Whether they inspected the scene
- Whether they took photos
- Whether they admitted knowing about the hazard
- Whether they said anyone else had fallen there before
This matters because businesses and property owners may later deny that the fall happened, deny that they were notified, or dispute what caused it.
Do not let the only written record be controlled by the other side.
Step 3: Take Photos and Videos of the Hazard
This may be the most important evidence in the entire case.
Take photos and videos before the hazard is cleaned up, fixed, moved, salted, dried, replaced, or covered.
Photograph:
- The exact spot where you fell
- Wet floors
- Spilled liquid
- Snow or ice
- Broken pavement
- Uneven sidewalks
- Loose rugs or mats
- Broken stairs
- Missing or loose handrails
- Poor lighting
- Potholes
- Cluttered aisles
- Leaking coolers or freezers
- Food, grease, or debris on the floor
- Warning signs, or the lack of warning signs
- Your shoes
- Your clothing
- Visible injuries
Take wide shots and close-up shots. Wide shots show where the hazard was. Close-ups show what made it dangerous.
If the fall happened because of snow or ice, photos are especially important because the condition may melt or be treated quickly.
If the fall happened inside a store, photos can show whether the spill was dirty, tracked through, spread out, or had cart marks or footprints through it. Those details may help show that the hazard existed long enough that someone should have noticed it.
Step 4: Look for Cameras
Before leaving, look around for surveillance cameras.
Check for cameras near:
- Store entrances
- Checkout areas
- Parking lots
- Apartment hallways
- Elevators
- Stairwells
- Restaurant entrances
- Hotel lobbies
- Gas stations
- Sidewalks near businesses
- Security desks
Video footage can disappear fast. Many businesses do not keep surveillance footage forever. Some systems overwrite footage automatically.
If you see cameras, write down where they are pointed and tell the manager that the video should be preserved. A lawyer can send a preservation letter requesting that the property owner save the footage.
This is one of those “move fast or lose it” situations. Video evidence is the golden goose, and sometimes the goose has a 7-day overwrite setting.
Step 5: Get Witness Names and Contact Information
Witnesses can help prove what happened.
Ask for names and phone numbers from:
- Customers
- Employees
- Neighbors
- Tenants
- Delivery drivers
- Security guards
- Friends or family members
- Anyone who saw you fall
- Anyone who saw the hazard before you fell
- Anyone who heard an employee mention the hazard
Witnesses may be able to confirm:
- The floor was wet
- No warning signs were present
- The area was poorly lit
- The stairs were broken
- The ice had been there for hours
- Employees knew about the hazard
- Other people almost fell
- Prior complaints had been made
- Someone cleaned or changed the scene afterward
Do not assume the business will collect witness information for you. They may not. Or, if they do, they may not share it willingly later.
Step 6: Preserve Your Shoes and Clothing
Do not throw away the shoes you were wearing.
Do not keep wearing them every day either.
Put them somewhere safe.
The defense may later argue that your shoes caused the fall. They may claim the soles were worn, unsafe, slippery, or inappropriate for the condition. Preserving the shoes helps prevent guesswork.
Also save clothing damaged in the fall, including pants, jackets, gloves, shirts, or anything torn, wet, stained, or bloodied.
If the condition of your shoes or clothing becomes important, having the actual items can help.
Step 7: Get Medical Care
Do not wait days or weeks hoping the pain goes away.
Get medical care if you are hurt, if you hit your head, if symptoms worsen, or if you are unsure how serious the injury is.
Medical care matters for two reasons.
First, your health matters. Falls can cause injuries that are not obvious right away.
Second, medical records help document the connection between the fall and the injury. If you wait too long, the insurance company may argue that you were not really hurt, that something else caused the injury, or that the fall was not serious.
The CDC reports that while not all falls cause injury, about 37% of older adults who fall report an injury that required medical treatment or restricted activity for at least one day.
Even if you are not an older adult, the point is simple: falls can be medically serious.
Get evaluated, follow your doctor’s instructions, and keep your appointments.
Step 8: Write Down What Happened
As soon as you can, write down everything you remember.
Include:
- Date and time of the fall
- Exact location
- What caused you to fall
- What direction you were walking
- Whether you saw the hazard before falling
- Whether warning signs were present
- Lighting conditions
- Weather conditions
- What shoes you were wearing
- What you were carrying
- Who saw the fall
- Who you reported it to
- What employees or managers said
- Whether anyone changed the scene afterward
- Pain or symptoms you noticed immediately
- Pain or symptoms that developed later
These details fade fast. Writing them down early helps protect you if the insurance company later tries to twist the facts.
Step 9: Avoid Posting About the Fall Online
Do not post about the fall on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, or anywhere else.
Do not post photos of your injury.
Do not joke about it.
Do not post that you are “fine.”
Do not complain about the business.
Do not message strangers about what happened.
Insurance companies and defense lawyers may review social media. Even an innocent post can be taken out of context. A smiling photo at dinner, a quick errand, or a sarcastic comment can be used to argue that your injuries are not serious.
The safest move is boring but effective: stay quiet online.
Step 10: Do Not Give a Recorded Statement Too Quickly
After a fall, an insurance adjuster may contact you.
They may sound friendly. That does not mean they are on your side.
They may ask questions like:
- Were you watching where you were going?
- Did you see the wet floor sign?
- Were you on your phone?
- What shoes were you wearing?
- Had you been drinking?
- Was the condition obvious?
- Did you really fall because of the hazard?
- Are you feeling better now?
- Do you have prior back, neck, knee, or hip problems?
Be careful. Recorded statements can be used against you.
Do not guess. Do not minimize your pain. Do not say you are fine just to be polite. Do not accept blame because you feel embarrassed.
Before giving a recorded statement, it is smart to understand your rights.
Step 11: Understand That Pennsylvania Slip and Fall Cases Depend on Evidence
In Pennsylvania, a property owner is not automatically liable just because someone fell.
A claim usually depends on whether a dangerous condition existed, whether the property owner or responsible party created it or knew or should have known about it, and whether the hazard caused the injury.
This is why evidence matters so much.
Slip and fall cases may involve:
- Photos
- Surveillance video
- Incident reports
- Witness statements
- Inspection logs
- Cleaning records
- Maintenance records
- Snow removal records
- Weather reports
- Prior complaints
- Medical records
- Expert opinions
For the full legal breakdown, read our guide to Pennsylvania slip and fall laws.
Step 12: Watch for Comparative Negligence Arguments
Pennsylvania follows a comparative negligence rule. Under Pennsylvania law, a person’s own negligence does not automatically bar recovery as long as their negligence was not greater than the negligence of the defendant or defendants. Any damages may be reduced based on the percentage of fault assigned to the injured person.
In plain English: you may still have a claim even if the insurance company says you were partly responsible.
But expect them to try.
They may argue:
- You should have seen the hazard.
- You were distracted.
- The danger was open and obvious.
- You ignored warning signs.
- You were wearing the wrong shoes.
- You were walking too fast.
- You chose an unsafe route.
- You caused your own fall.
These arguments do not automatically defeat a case. They are part of the fight.
Step 13: Keep Track of Bills, Missed Work, and Pain
Start a folder for everything related to the fall.
Save:
- Emergency room paperwork
- Doctor bills
- Physical therapy records
- Imaging reports
- Prescription receipts
- Medical supply receipts
- Mileage to appointments
- Work excuse notes
- Pay stubs showing missed income
- Photos of bruising, swelling, casts, braces, or scars
- Notes about pain, sleep problems, mobility problems, or daily limitations
Also write down how the injury affects your life.
Examples:
- Trouble walking
- Trouble using stairs
- Trouble driving
- Missed work
- Missed family events
- Trouble lifting children
- Trouble sleeping
- Fear of falling again
- Needing help with chores
- Pain while sitting, standing, or bending
A fall injury claim is not only about medical bills. It is about how the injury changed your life.
Step 14: Know the Deadline to File a Lawsuit
Most Pennsylvania personal injury claims, including many slip and fall claims, have a two-year statute of limitations. Pennsylvania law provides a two-year limitation period for actions seeking damages for injuries to a person caused by wrongful act, neglect, unlawful violence, or negligence.
But waiting is risky.
Evidence can disappear long before the legal deadline. Spills get cleaned. Snow melts. Ice gets salted. Broken mats get replaced. Video gets overwritten. Employees move on. Witnesses forget.
The statute of limitations is the legal deadline. The evidence deadline may be much sooner.
Step 15: Contact a Pennsylvania Slip and Fall Lawyer
You should consider speaking with a lawyer if:
- You were seriously injured
- You hit your head
- You broke a bone
- You needed emergency care
- You missed work
- You may need surgery
- You have back, neck, hip, knee, ankle, shoulder, or wrist injuries
- The business denies responsibility
- The property owner refuses to provide information
- The insurance company contacts you quickly
- There was video footage
- The hazard was cleaned or fixed immediately after the fall
- You are being blamed for the accident
A Pennsylvania slip and fall lawyer can investigate the scene, preserve video, gather evidence, identify the responsible parties, deal with insurance companies, and explain whether you may have a claim.
Quick Checklist: What to Do After a Slip and Fall in Pennsylvania
After a slip and fall, you should:
- Check yourself for injuries.
- Call 911 if you are seriously hurt.
- Report the fall to the property owner, manager, landlord, or business.
- Ask for an incident report.
- Take photos and videos of the hazard.
- Look for cameras.
- Get witness names and phone numbers.
- Preserve your shoes and clothing.
- Get medical care.
- Write down what happened.
- Avoid posting about the fall online.
- Do not give a recorded statement too quickly.
- Keep medical bills and records.
- Track missed work and daily pain.
- Contact a Pennsylvania slip and fall lawyer.
Talk to Pisanchyn Law Firm After a Slip and Fall in Pennsylvania
If you were injured in a slip and fall in Pennsylvania, you do not have to figure everything out alone.
Pisanchyn Law Firm represents injured people throughout Pennsylvania, including fall victims in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Northeastern Pennsylvania, and communities across the state.
Our team can review what happened, explain your rights, help preserve evidence, and determine whether a property owner, business, landlord, maintenance company, or another party may be responsible.
Contact Pisanchyn Law Firm today for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I report a slip and fall before leaving the property?
Yes. Report the fall to a manager, property owner, landlord, security guard, or responsible person before you leave. Ask for an incident report and request a copy if one is created.
Should I take pictures after a slip and fall?
Yes. Take photos and videos of the exact hazard that caused the fall, the surrounding area, warning signs or lack of warning signs, your shoes, your clothing, and your injuries.
What if I did not feel hurt right away?
You should still pay attention to symptoms and consider medical care. Pain, stiffness, swelling, bruising, concussion symptoms, and soft tissue injuries can appear or worsen after the initial shock wears off.
What if I slipped on ice in Pennsylvania?
Snow and ice cases can be complicated. The timing of the weather, whether the property owner had a reasonable chance to clear the area, drainage issues, refreezing, photos, video, and witness statements can all matter.
What if the store cleaned up the spill after I fell?
That is common. Write down what happened, take photos if you can, get witness information, and contact a lawyer quickly. Surveillance footage, cleaning logs, and witness statements may help prove what the scene looked like before it was changed.
Can I still recover compensation if I was partly at fault?
Possibly. Pennsylvania’s comparative negligence law may allow recovery if your negligence was not greater than the defendant’s negligence, although damages can be reduced based on your percentage of fault.
How long do I have to file a slip and fall lawsuit in Pennsylvania?
Most Pennsylvania personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years. However, you should act quickly because important evidence may disappear much sooner.
Do I need a lawyer after every slip and fall?
Not every fall requires a lawyer. But if you were injured, needed medical care, missed work, hit your head, broke a bone, or the insurance company is contacting you, it is smart to speak with a Pennsylvania slip and fall lawyer before giving statements or accepting a settlement.
