A slip-and-fall accident may seem straightforward. You accidentally fell on another person’s property, so they are naturally liable for your injuries. Only if it were that easy. Just like any other personal injury case, you must gather evidence proving the other person’s fault. Without establishing all the elements of liability, you cannot recover compensation.

As the injured party, it is your responsibility to understand what counts as evidence, how to collect it, and then preserve it for later. Premises liability cases end up in litigation most of the time, and you do not want to go to court without solid proof of your innocence. Consult with an experienced attorney from The Flood Law Firm today. 

Steps to preserve evidence in a slip and fall accident 

1. Go back to the scene. 

The first step in gathering and preserving evidence is going back to the scene and looking for things that may have contributed to the accident. Here are some examples of things you may find helpful: 

• Broken glass

• Loose floor tiles 

• Broken railing 

• Slippery floor 

• Uncleaned spills
  

When you find these items, do not remove them from the site. Instead, take photographs and keep everything documented.

2. Protect physical evidence.

Sometimes, the fault for an accident can be proven better by things that can be seen or touched, as opposed to a description of what happened. For example, if you tripped over a toy or other object, the toy can serve as physical evidence. Try to preserve physical physical evidence immediately after the accident once you have clicked photographs. If you cannot preserve the actual object, you can at least use the digital evidence. 

3. Locate witnesses to the fall.

One type of evidence that is not going to get removed from the accident site is the information that witnesses have. The witnesses to your slip-and-fall accident know what happened and can provide a detailed account to you as well as serve as witnesses in court. If you cannot find witnesses, request to view the store’s or property’s surveillance camera to locate any witnesses. If the fall happened at a store, there must be at least one employee to witness the accident. 

4. Document your injuries. 

The most significant evidence in a personal injury case is your injuries. Injuries begin to heal right after the accident, but you can document them by going to a doctor. Your doctor can record your injuries and medical condition from a professional’s perspective. You can also click pictures of your cuts, bruises, marks, etc. 

Contact an attorney today.