Destruction of Evidence in Slip and Fall or Trip and fall Cases
Critical to the success in a trip and fall or slip and fall case is securing the evidence immediately, including the surveillance video notes experienced Herndon Virginia premises liability lawyer Doug Landau
If you slip and fall at a store or business, you would be relieved when you learn that there is a video surveillance system in place and that your accident may have been captured on tape.
Not so fast! A recent case shows how a store or business may go to great lengths to hide its culpability in a slip and fall accident.
In this case, a 49 year old commercial landscaper slipped and fell on a banana peel in a supermarket. The resulting injury required surgery, and the man was left with chronic pain and loss of mobility. He is permanently disabled and unable to work.
Although the store’s surveillance system did monitor the area where the man fell, the store manager claimed that the recording from the time of the fall no longer existed. Instead, he turned over an image showing the general area of the fall.
Not so fast again! The very astute plaintiff’s attorney asked for a demonstration of the surveillance system, and by doing so was able to show that the image the store produced was, in fact, not of the spot monitored by cameras.
The store deliberately erased the tapes!!!
The lawyer’s pursuit of justice resulted in the jury awarding $2.3 million!
“Just because the store has video does not mean you will automatically win your case,” says premises liability lawyer Doug Landau. “The help of an experienced lawyer is critical to laying out your best case.”
If you or someone you know has been injured in a slip and fall accident and there are questions as to what laws apply, email or call Abrams Landau, Ltd. at once (703-796-9555).