How Surveillance Footage Helps Slip-and-Fall Claims in Kentucky
Slip-and-fall accidents can happen in an instant and are among the most common personal injury claims. Often, these accidents occur in apartment complexes, grocery stores, retail shops, shopping malls, restaurants, sidewalks, and parking lots. If you were involved in a slip-and-fall accident in Kentucky, you may be able to recover compensation if you can demonstrate liability on the part of a property owner or manager. Among the strongest pieces of evidence that you can have in your case is surveillance footage. In Kentucky, many people and businesses use security cameras. When footage from these cameras exists, it can make a significant difference in the outcome of your case.
How Can Surveillance Footage Help Your Case?
In a Kentucky slip and fall case, the main issue is determining whether or not the property owner or manager failed to maintain a reasonably safe environment. To prove this, you need strong evidence showing what caused your accident, how the hazard developed, and whether the property owner or manager knew or should have known about the danger. Surveillance footage can help demonstrate these points. Surveillance footage can:
Show the Hazard That Caused Your Fall
Video footage can show the exact situation that led to your accident, such as a wet floor, spilled product, accumulation of snow or ice, or loose tiles. Often, visual evidence can be more convincing than witness testimonies. For example, a clear video showing you slipping on a wet flor removes any uncertainty and makes it hard for a property owner or manager to argue that the issue was not present.
Show How Long the Hazard Was There
If the property owner or manager knew or should have reasonably known about the danger and failed to address it or warn about it, they are liable for any resulting injuries and damages. Surveillance footage can reveal, for example, how long a spill was left unattended or whether a dangerous condition developed slowly over time. If a hazard was present long enough for a reasonable person to have noticed it and taken action, this can strongly support your negligence claim.
Provide an Unbiased Record of the Incident
Witnesses can give conflicting accounts, have biases, or even forget details. Surveillance footage provides an accurate representation of what happened. It can show the exact moment you feel, the actions that led to the slip, and how hard you hit the ground.
Show You Were Acting Reasonably
Under Kentucky’s pure comparative negligence rule, your compensation might be diminished if you were partially to blame for your slip and fall accident. For example, if you were distracted while walking, wearing unsafe shoes, or if the hazard was obvious, you may be held partially responsible for your accident. Surveillance footage can clarify your actions. By establishing that you did not play any role in your accident, surveillance footage can help protect your right to full and fair compensation.
Support the Extent of Your Injuries
Surveillance footage can also help show how badly you were injured. For example, it can show you hitting your head on the floor, twisting your knee, bracing with your wrist, or reacting immediately with pain. This visual evidence can be crucial when the defense tries to argue that your injuries aren’t as severe as you claim.
Contact Us for Legal Help
Our skilled London and Southeast Kentucky slip & fall attorneys at Cessna & George Law Firm can help you prove your case and recover the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
