What Kinds of Evidence Could be Relevant in a Slip and Fall Case?

Of the estimated 8.9 million people who are injured in slip and fall accidents each year, a significant number are eligible to recover compensation for their injuries. In order to be able to obtain compensation, however, slip and fall victims must be able to establish that their accident was caused by someone else’s negligence.

In the context of a personal injury case, “negligence” generally means the failure of a party to conduct himself or herself with the degree of care that would ordinarily be exercised by a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances. In many cases, establishing that negligence led to a particular accident requires the gathering and analysis of a significant amount of evidence. Some examples of the types of evidence that can establish that negligence caused a slip and fall accident are discussed below.

Photographic Evidence Of The Scene

Photographic evidence of the dangerous condition that caused particular slip and fall accident is often the only evidence needed to establish liability after a slip and fall accident. For this reason, it is highly advisable for anyone that has hurt in this type of accident to take pictures of the scene of their accident as soon as they can. Examples of the kinds of hazards that may be photographed include the following:

• Wet floors;
• Cracked pavement;
• Exposed cables or electrical wiring;
• Uneven stairs; and
• Debris in walkways.

Eye-Witness Statements

Sometimes, a victim may not have a camera with which they can take pictures of the hazard that caused their fall or may be physically unable to do so due to their injuries. In these instances, individuals who witnessed the accident can often testify as to how an accident occurred. For this reason, eyewitness statements can often be extremely important in establishing negligence on the part of a property owner after a slip and fall accident.

Surveillance Footage

Many businesses that are open to the public use surveillance cameras to dissuade people from stealing or engaging in other illegal activity. Fortunately for slip and fall victims, the footage captured by surveillance cameras can also help them establish that their accident was caused by negligence. In some cases, a business may be reluctant to provide a slip and fall accident with this type of footage if it plans to fight a legal claim. Fortunately, there are ways that an attorney can compel the production of relevant evidence and can also take steps to prevent a party from destroying it.

Call a Boca Raton Personal Injury Lawyer Today to Discuss Your Case

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident that occurred on someone else’s property, you may be able to recover significant compensation for your losses. Examples of the kinds of damages that are often available to victims in slip and fall cases include those for medical expenses, lost income, loss of quality of life, and physical and emotional pain and suffering. For a free consultation with a personal injury attorney in Boca, call Lavalle, Brown & Ronan at 888-646-1315.

Posted in Slip and Fall | Comments Off on What Kinds of Evidence Could be Relevant in a Slip and Fall Case?