Should it happen that you visit a store or other commercial establishment and, not noticing there is soap on the floor, you slip, fall, and injure yourself. You want to file a premises liability claim because you want to obtain compensation. If this is your case, you must know how to go about it, what you must prove and what kind of evidence you will need to collect.
What kind of evidence should you collect for your premises liability claim?
It is obvious that not all cases are exactly alike and, therefore, the evidence for each case will have some unique facts. However, the evidence you collect will have a definite impact on your claim. Here are some items you should pay attention to:
Make Sure to Take Pictures
You don't want to rely on your memory of the condition that caused your injuries. The time to take the photographs is immediately after the accident happens. This way everything will be documented, and the owner will not have had time to remove the item or repair the imperfection. Take enough pictures to paint a clear image of what happened.
Obtain a Copy of the Accident Report
If law enforcement is present at the scene, they will prepare an accident report. I is valuable for you to obtain a copy since it may reveal important information such as the owner's contact data, witnesses' accounts, and insurance information on the property or the owner.
Your Medical Records and Bills
Since you are filing a claim because you have been injured, it is only logical that you will have had to visit doctors and other healthcare providers, purchased prescription medications, and received other treatments or surgeries. Putting together all these documents will be of great help to your attorney when the time comes to prove how serious your injuries were.
Pay Stubs
In order to claim wage losses, your attorney needs to know how much you made prior to the injury and how much you are making now, if you have been able to return to work. If you worked on commission, you earnings records, and if you lost vacation or sick time or missed out on a promotion, that should also be documented and provided to your attorney.
Statements of Witnesses
If there were people around you that witnessed what happened, it is important for you to collect their statements. After that, get their contact information, should it be necessary for them to testify in court.
Hire An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
When you work with an experienced personal injury attorney, you can be sure that all appropriate evidence will be collected. Your attorney will also determine whether expert witnesses need to be called upon to provide testimony regarding your final prognosis. Other experts such as physical and vocational counselors, experts in finance or engineering as the case may be, and more.
Don't let too much time go by before contacting your personal injury attorney and getting together the evidence to support your case. It's important for you to schedule an initial consultation during which you can explain to your lawyer the particulars of the situation that caused your injuries.
Personal Injury Lawyer Pendergrass of The Pendergrass Law firm is standing by and ready to start working with you.
