Even if the incident feels “minor” at first, evidence and records can disappear quickly—especially after the worksite is cleaned up and project teams rotate. In Massachusetts, personal injury claims are time-sensitive, and your ability to document what happened can affect how strongly your case is presented.
If you can, act in the first 24–48 hours:
- Get medical evaluation and follow-up care (and keep every discharge summary and restriction note).
- Write down what you remember while it’s fresh: how you accessed the scaffold, what was missing (guardrails, toe boards, proper decking, stable footing), and what the site looked like.
- Preserve incident paperwork and contact info for supervisors, safety personnel, and witnesses.
This early organization matters because scaffolding cases often turn on control and compliance—not just the fact that someone fell.


