When someone is injured after tripping or falling on someone else’s property, documenting all evidence is critical to proving fault. This is how attorneys work to prove liability and what documentation they need to do it.

Proving Liability in a Slip and Fall Case

When a person is injured on someone else’s property, she may be entitled to compensation only if she can prove that the property owner (or person representing them, such as a tenant or shopkeeper) was careless or negligent about the dangerous condition. Perhaps a customer is browsing at her favorite store, a quaint downtown shop with two floors. While taking the stairs back down to the first floor, she falls thanks to a broken handrail, which had no sign indicating its danger. She may be able to recover damages if she can show that the property owner or storekeeper knew of the hazard but did nothing to correct it. Liability in a slip and fall case is much easier to prove when the injured party has documentation.

Documentation Used in a Slip and Fall Case

Attorneys representing both parties will ask for documentation related to the injury to build a case. Medical records will be one of the most important pieces of evidence, showing a description of the injuries and the doctor’s opinion at the time of treatment. They will also address how the fall happened; the defense lawyer will be particularly interested in seeing if her story has changed over time. The defense lawyer may also look at the injured party’s medical history, looking for other health problems that could have contributed to the fall, such as a history of fainting, epilepsy, or previous falls. A visual representation of the fall location can help with proving liability, so photos from the scene are a must. If anyone witnessed the injury, it’s helpful to have their contact information to help corroborate the story. Other important pieces of documentation that may be examined include accident reports, video surveillance, and the company’s maintenance records.

How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

A good personal injury attorney won’t rush through the process of gathering and examining evidence like the documentation above. Instead, an experienced legal team will spend whatever time it takes to build a solid case. At Jiles Law P.A., our slip and fall attorneys have successfully won all types of personal injury cases, from dog bite incidents to trucking accidents. If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, we may be able to help! We offer free consultations so you can feel confident in your decision to hire us. Give Jiles Law P.A. a call today at (863) 875-6900.