After a fall, the priority is always medical care. But the choices you make right after the incident can affect what insurers and opposing parties argue later.
Do this:
- Get evaluated the same day if you can. Even if you “feel okay,” head injuries, internal injuries, and spinal symptoms can develop later.
- Write down what you remember before details fade—how you accessed the scaffold, what you were doing, what you noticed about guardrails, decking, or ties/anchors.
- Preserve site details: take photos if it’s safe (guardrails, plank/deck condition, access points, ladder placement, debris on platforms).
- Keep every document you receive—incident forms, first-aid reports, work restrictions, and any follow-up instructions.
Avoid this:
- Don’t rush a recorded statement without understanding how it will be used.
- Don’t sign medical releases or settlement paperwork you don’t understand.
- Don’t assume “someone will handle it”—jobsite photos and logs are often overwritten, cleaned up, or lost once work resumes.


