All it takes is one slippery step in a crowded New Orleans store aisle to send you crashing to the ground. One moment you’re browsing the shelves, then suddenly, you’re on the floor with pain shooting through your body, and people gathering around you.

Minutes later, the spill is cleaned, a caution cone is set out, and the scene looks nothing like it did when you fell. When evidence disappears this quickly, what you do next becomes crucial.

Acting quickly protects your health and preserves the evidence needed to demonstrate that the property owner was negligent.

Here’s what to do right away when you’ve experienced a fall and how our experienced Louisiana slip-and-fall lawyers can use early evidence to build your personal injury claim.

Document the Hazard and Your Injuries at the Scene

Hazards are often cleaned or fixed within minutes after a fall, like a restaurant mopping up spilled oil or grease or a hotel replacing a loose floor mat. If you can move safely, document the accident scene immediately so you have proof of what caused your injury.

Take these steps:

  • Photograph the hazard, whether it’s a spill, uneven flooring, loose carpeting, or broken steps.
  • Document your injuries by capturing bruising, swelling, cuts, or torn clothing.
  • Note whether warning signs were missing or added after the fall.
  • Identify the source of the danger, such as leaking equipment, food debris, or a maintenance issue.

Fast action and visual documentation record details that are often altered or become harder to prove later.

Get Witness Information Before They Leave

People who saw your fall can confirm the hazard and describe how the incident happened. Their statements often become critical evidence when the property owner argues that you were distracted, careless, or injured somewhere else.

Ask witnesses for:

  • Full names
  • Phone numbers
  • Email addresses
  • A brief account of what they saw

Thank them for their help and let them know your attorney may contact them later. Even brief witness statements can provide an unbiased foundation for your claim.

File an Accident Report With the Property Manager

Most stores and public locations in Louisiana require employees to fill out an incident report whenever someone is injured. Make sure one is completed and ask to review it before you leave. Confirm that the time, location, and cause are accurate.

Important steps include:

  • Requesting a Copy: While businesses may not want to share their incident reports, you should do your best to obtain a copy prior to leaving the scene. Often, our memories are best right after the event, and having your testimony of what and how the accident happened from shortly after it occurred can often be crucial for recovering compensation.
  • Noting Who You Spoke With: Write down the manager’s name and job title.
  • Staying Factual: Describe what happened without exaggeration or apologizing.

An official report timestamps your injury, limiting the property manager’s ability to claim they were unaware of the incident.

Look for Security Cameras and Request the Footage

Surveillance footage can be some of the most powerful evidence in a slip-and-fall claim. Most grocery stores, pharmacies, big-box retailers, and apartment complexes monitor their aisles, entrances, and walkways with cameras.

If you spot a camera:

  • Note its location
  • Tell the manager the footage must be preserved
  • Take a picture of the camera for reference

Your Louisiana slip-and-fall lawyer can send a spoliation letter to ensure the store doesn’t delete or overwrite the footage.

Save the Clothes and Shoes You Were Wearing

What you were wearing can reveal key details about the fall. Leave these items exactly as they are:

  • Shoes with slippery residue, dust, or food product
  • Clothes with stains from the substance you slipped on
  • Torn fabric showing how you hit the ground

Do not wash or repair anything; bag the items and store them in a safe place. Physical evidence helps demonstrate the mechanism of the fall and supports your account of the hazard.

Get Medical Attention Right Away

Even if you feel okay, seek medical care the same day to get checked for injuries and begin treatment if necessary. Many injuries, like concussions, ligament tears, or hairline fractures, worsen over time.

Medical treatment helps:

  • Document your symptoms early
  • Show the progression of your injuries
  • Connect your damages to the fall
  • Support claims for medical bills and future care

Follow all recommended treatment, attend follow-up visits, and keep copies of your records. Prompt medical attention protects your health and gives your attorney the evidence needed to prove your damages.

If You Missed These Steps, Your Claim Isn’t Lost

It’s understandable if you didn’t take these steps. In the chaos of a fall, people are often in pain, disoriented, or simply unaware that the hazard being removed right away could harm their injury claim.

While it can make your claim more challenging, it does not make it impossible. A qualified Louisiana slip-and-fall lawyer can:

  • Interview witnesses the business may have documented
  • Request store cleaning logs, maintenance records, and video footage
  • Analyze your injuries to show they are consistent with the type of accident you suffered
  • Locate any past complaints or violations involving the same hazard
  • Work with experts to try to recreate the conditions to demonstrate how the fall occurred

At Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers, we act fast to gather and reconstruct evidence, even when nothing was captured at the scene.

Protect Your Claim With Strong Legal Support

We understand how quickly evidence can disappear and the tactics insurance companies often rely on to dispute premises liability cases. Our Louisiana slip-and-fall lawyers act immediately to document your damages and protect your rights.

Contact us for a free case review and let us help you recover fair compensation for your injuries.

Disclaimer: This content has been reviewed by Chad Lederman, Director of Legal Operations at our New Orleans office.