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In Portland, slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere, from your favorite coffee shop to the busy downtown sidewalks. These accidents often lead to unexpected injuries, medical bills, and lost wages due to recovery time. Navigating the aftermath of a slip and fall accident can be challenging, but security camera footage can be a valuable tool in proving your case. By capturing the event just as it happened, security footage can help you establish negligence on the part of the property owner, making them financially responsible for the injuries you’ve suffered.
At Zbinden & Curtis Attorneys At Law, we understand the challenges you face after an accident and are here to help you navigate the legal requirements of your case. If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, call the personal injury lawyers with decades of experience in Portland; call Zbinden & Curtis today.
Security Camera Footage in Slip and Fall Accident Claims
As you may imagine, security camera footage can be a crucial piece of evidence when proving liability in a slip and fall case. These videos capture the exact moment of your accident, and show how and why the fall occurred. Whether you tripped over an unmarked hazard, slipped on a wet floor, or encountered an unexpected obstruction, video evidence can clearly illustrate the conditions and negligence that led to your injury.
In a busy city like Portland, where businesses and public spaces are often monitored by security cameras, obtaining this footage after an accident can significantly strengthen your case. It provides an objective account of the incident, which can counter any disputes or disagreements that may arise during negotiations or trials. However, gathering the evidence legally and proving its authenticity in court may be a complex process.
Is Security Camera Footage Admissible in Court?
Yes, generally, security camera footage is admissible in court, but it must meet certain legal standards. The footage must be entirely relevant to your case, meaning it directly shows the slip and fall incident. It must also be authenticated to prove it is genuine and has not been tampered with.
Authentication of security camera footage in a court of law involves a witness with knowledge of the camera system testifying that the footage is a true and accurate representation of the events. These witnesses can be the employees responsible for monitoring the footage or an unrelated expert familiar with the system’s operation. The footage may also need to be accompanied by a chain of custody document, which tracks who had access to the footage from the time it was recorded until it is presented in court.
How Security Camera Footage Can Support Your Slip and Fall Claim
Security camera footage can help prove negligence in a slip and fall case by showing the hazardous condition that led to the fall and whether the property owner took any measures to address it. For example, if the video shows a wet floor in a supermarket without any warning signs, it can prove that the property owner or manager was negligent in the duty of care they owe to their customers. This duty of care can vary based on the location of the accident and the reason the victim had for being on the property, but generally, owners are required to keep their property reasonably safe for visitors.
Additionally, security camera footage helps establish the timing of the fall and the conditions at the time of the accident. This helps demonstrate that the hazard existed long enough for the property owner to reasonably address it and proves that they failed to do so. The law requires property owners or managers to actively seek out potential hazards that could injure their customers and either remove them or warn their visitors about them. If someone is negligent in this duty, and a person is injured in a slip and fall accident, the employee, managers, or the business itself could be held responsible for the damages.
In Oregon, the comparative negligence rule allows you to recover damages even if you were partially at fault for the accident. However, your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. Security camera footage can be incredibly useful in minimizing your percentage of fault and maximizing your potential compensation.
How to Obtain Security Camera Footage
Collecting security camera footage quickly after an accident is incredibly important. Most security cameras used by businesses today are set to keep their footage for only a short period. After 24 hours, a few days, or a week, the camera may start recording over previously captured footage.
As soon as possible after your fall, try to identify any security cameras that may have captured the incident. If possible, ask the owners or staff how long their cameras are set to record and request a copy of the footage.
It is best to do this in writing while specifying the date and time of your accident, as well as the date you requested the footage. After receiving this information, the owner must make every attempt to preserve the accident footage before it is deleted. If they don’t, or they choose to delete or alter the footage, they could face charges of evidence tampering.
Call Zbinden & Curtis Attorneys At Law Today
At Zbinden & Curtis Attorneys At Law, we understand the legal challenges of slip and fall cases and the critical role that security camera footage can play in proving your claim. Our experienced attorneys are dedicated to helping you preserve and present this crucial evidence, so you receive the maximum compensation you deserve.
We can conduct thorough investigations of the scene that identify all possible sources of video evidence and ensure that every angle of your incident is covered. Once we identify potential footage sources, we handle all communications with property owners and other relevant parties to secure the footage that proves your case.
If you’ve been injured in a slip and fall accident, call the attorneys Portland trusts; call Zbinden & Curtis Attorneys At Law at (503) 287-5000.
