With regard to a premises liability case, you have to gather the evidence as soon as possible. Specifically, if it’s a snow and ice case where somebody slips and falls on a snow- or ice-covered or otherwise slippery condition, time is of the essence.
First and foremost, you want to make sure you have photographs and/or a witness who can identify the exact defect that caused the fall. It’s not the first thing a person thinks about after falling, but we hope someone was able to take a photograph of the slippery condition, whether it was water, ice, or another hazardous surface.
If it’s not a snow and ice case but involves a defect such as a raised or broken sidewalk, photographs are still extremely important. It’s not always something our clients are thinking about while they’re on the ground in pain, which is why it’s so important that we get involved as early as possible.
I prefer when a client comes to us right away. Before that client even leaves my office, I have our investigators and someone from our team go to the location to take photographs. I want to make sure my client can clearly identify what caused the fall.
Things change every day. The weather changes, road and sidewalk conditions change, and ice melts. That’s why getting photographs immediately is so important.
The second thing we look for is witnesses. Who was there when the person fell? Sometimes you don’t have witnesses, which makes our job a little harder. That’s why it’s important to send someone to the accident location to knock on doors, ring doorbells, and speak with people who live or work nearby, whether it’s a gas station, a store, or a homeowner.
These days, many people have Ring cameras or other security cameras. When someone is injured, we knock on doors to find out if anyone captured the incident on video or witnessed what happened. We obtain those statements as quickly as possible.
Again, time is critical. The sooner we gather this evidence after the accident, the easier it is to establish what caused the fall. From there, we can focus on helping our clients receive the medical treatment they need and supporting them throughout their recovery.
Photographs, witness statements, and speaking with people in the area are just some of the key pieces of evidence we need in a premises liability case.