Before anything else, get medical attention. Even when symptoms seem manageable, injuries like concussion, internal trauma, or spinal damage may worsen after the initial check.
While you’re receiving care, keep your documentation practical and local:
- Write down the details you remember (date/time, what task you were doing, who controlled the area, and what the scaffold looked like).
- Photograph what you can without interfering with medical treatment or security—guardrails, access ladders/steps, toe boards, and any visible gaps or damage.
- Save incident paperwork you receive at the jobsite.
In California, insurers and defense counsel often scrutinize whether symptoms and treatment match the reported mechanism of injury. A clean medical record paired with a timely incident timeline can make a meaningful difference.


