Collecting Evidence After a Slip and Fall

By Jason Bottlinger on April 7, 2022

Whether you are a guest at someone’s home who trips and falls downstairs because of a loose handrail, a shopper in a supermarket who slips on an unmarked wet floor, or the resident of an apartment building with a broken or uneven walkway, you may be able to file a claim to cover the cost of your injuries and other expenses caused by your fall.

As soon as possible after the accident, you will want to begin collecting evidence to strengthen your claim. This is essential because your Omaha slip and fall attorney will need to prove that the accident could have been prevented if the other person had been reasonably cautious.

How Slip and Falls Happen

When a slip and fall accident occurs, it’s often because the property wasn’t maintained and repaired properly. Property owners and businesses have a duty of care to provide a safe environment for guests, patrons, and visitors. If they knew about a problem and didn’t fix it, or if the problem was something that they should have discovered before it injured someone, a property owner may be held liable for the cost of your injuries.

After a person is injured due the negligence of a property owner, their Omaha injury lawyer will investigate to see if the accident could have been prevented by eliminating one of the following types of hazards:

• An obstruction in a walkway or stairway
• Spills that weren’t cleaned up
• Uneven surfaces
• Unremoved snow or ice on a walkway
• Potholes
• Wet floors with no signs posted
• Broken flooring
• Torn or loose carpeting
• Missing or broken handrails
• Poor lighting

Proving Negligence After a Fall in Nebraska

It’s a good idea to take pictures of the accident site as soon as possible, before another person has a chance to change anything. You will also want to get the names of any witnesses and write down your recollections of the incident. This information will help your attorney build their case.

Your attorney’s investigation will include the following types of information:

• Time-stamped photographs and security camera footage of the accident
• Weather reports indicating that the owner should have anticipated icy or snowy conditions on their property
• Store inspection schedules to demonstrate whether or not regular cleanup of spills and other hazards was carried out
• Complaints made by customers or residents about hazardous conditions
• The incident report about your accident
• Testimony from witnesses who observed the accident or the unsafe conditions that caused it
• Your medical records

Getting Compensation for Your Omaha Slip and Fall Injuries

If another person’s careless actions caused your injuries, you shouldn’t have to pay for your own medical expenses and other costs resulting from the accident. Damages sought in a claim by your Omaha personal injury lawyer may include:

• All your doctor’s appointments
• Ambulance rides
• Emergency room treatment
• Surgery
• Physical therapy
• Time missed from work
• Reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering

We’re Here to Help

At Bottlinger Law L.L.C., we help people who have been injured through the negligence and wrongful acts of others. Our personal injury law team brings years of experience and knowledge to the table, and we are driven by a passion to achieve justice for the injured. Call (402) 505-8234 to learn more today. We are on your side.