In this case, you would need an experienced personal injury lawyer to navigate your case and recover the full and fair compensation you deserve after wrongfully suffering losses and damages as a result of a slip and fall accident. And although your attorney will conduct an in-depth and thorough investigation, it is important to collect certain important pieces of evidence yourself directly after an accident; evidence that your attorney would not have access to days after the incident occurred. These evidences will help prove your case to the courts and the opposing party.
Continue reading to learn what evidence to gather up after being injured in a slip, trip, and fall accident for a stronger chance at winning a fair settlement.
Scene of the Accident Footage
It is understandably difficult to collect footage at the scene of your accident when you are seriously hurt, but it is critical to your case to try. If you are too injured or incapacitated to gather this evidence yourself, you should ask a witness, bystander, friend, relative, or police officer to help you. Take as many pictures and video footage as you can of your injuries and the surroundings.
Include a picture of your entire body, your injuries, the area you slipped, tripped, or fell, as well as, the surface of the floor, nearby signs (or lack of signs), water puddles, snow, liquids, spills, frayed carpeting, unleveled surfaces, poor lighting, dangerous conditions, and more. Collect footage of anything that could have influenced the accident to happen. Video is best, but photos are effective too.
Clothing and Apparel
Another important piece of physical evidence that can help your case is the clothing you were wearing the moment of the accident. This includes your outfit and your shoes, as well as, any outerwear. If you are trying to prove that the floor you injured yourself on was dangerous, you may need to also prove that you were dressed reasonably and that your apparel did not contribute to your accident. Physical photos and clothing can help confirm this. For instance, if a woman was wearing high heeled shoes on a snowy day, this evidence would be used against her in a slip and fall injury case. But if you fell on a dry day wearing sneakers, the evidence helps prove your footwear was not a cause for your fall.
Physical evidence can also include witness statements, video footage, medical records, hospital bills, and more, but it is only a tiny fraction of a victorious slip and fall personal injury case. Fore this reason, it is an important to retain a seasoned accident attorney to recover the full and fair compensation you deserve. They have the knowledge and hands-on experience to obtain the settlement you need to cover all your related losses and damages.