Important Evidence That You'll Need For Your Consultation
If you are dealing with the death of a family member after a slip and fall accident, you may have a wrongful death case, and you should consult with a lawyer about whether the case would have a chance in court. However, there is only so much the lawyer can do during the consultation if you don't bring anything with you, or if you bring only a basic amount of paperwork. It's understandable that you wouldn't want to haul in tons of evidence in case the lawyer said there was no chance, but if you don't bring in everything you can, the lawyer isn't going to get enough information to think you have a chance anyway.
Security Footage
If you can get a copy of any security footage that may have caught the fall on tape, either bring that or note who has it and how the lawyer can get at it to view it. A security video, be it from the place where the fall happened or from another vantage point, will show what the deceased was doing at the time of the fall and if there were any obvious obstacles in the way. For example, if your family member tripped over a child's toy in the aisle of a store, but your family member was clearly not looking where he or she was going, that might not be the store's fault. On the other hand, if the video shows an employee mopping the floor and then leaving without putting up a warning sign, that would likely be the store's fault. The video helps corroborate witness statements, too.
Police Reports
You should be able to get a copy of the police report within a few days after it is first filed; bring this in so the lawyer can see what the police found at the scene. If no police were called for whatever reason, the paramedics may have a report that you can get, and the lack of police could be a point in your favor because they should have been called to figure out what happened to cause the person's fall and death.
Medical Records
Bring copies of all medical records associated with the fall and death -- not just one part of the saga. For example, if your family member fell, was hospitalized, was released, and was rehospitalized with complications that led to the death, and the doctors determined it was a result of the fall, bring all of those records, not just a summary or the records from the second hospitalization.
It is better to haul everything to the consultation and find out it wasn't needed than it is to bring a few things and be rejected due to lack of information. If you are still unsure if you should bring a certain piece of evidence, give a lawyer, like one from Putnam Lieb Potvin, a call to discuss how that item might change your case.
