Witness Statements Could Play a Key Role in Your Florida Slip and Fall Lawsuit

In Florida, slip and fall victims are often entitled to compensation for their injury-related losses, but only if they can prove that their injury was the result of a property owner’s failure to keep his or her premises safe. To establish this, claimants will need to provide strong proof, which could take a number of different forms, including security system footage, photographs from the scene, and other accident reports. One of the most convincing types of evidence, however, is eyewitness testimony.

How Eyewitness Testimony Can Strengthen Your Claim 

An eyewitness who actually saw a slip and fall accident occur can provide valuable insight into the cause of the accident by:

• Corroborating the claimant’s story, which bolsters the victim’s credibility and strengthens the case by providing additional evidence of the property owner’s negligence;
• Providing observations that the injured party may have missed; and
• Establishing that the property owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition on the premises, but failed to take steps to remedy it.

By corroborating a victim’s story, filling in gaps that may have been overlooked, and helping establish that a property owner was aware of the dangers on the property, eyewitnesses can play a pivotal role in convincing a judge or jury that a property owner was negligent. This is why it’s so important for those who have been injured in a slip and fall accident to start working with an attorney, who can investigate the accident and help identify anyone who saw the fall occur.

Characteristics of a Good Eyewitness 

In order to be useful in these ways, however, eyewitness testimony must come from someone with firsthand knowledge of the accident, credibility, and a consistent version of events. The person in question must actually have seen the accident occur or spoken to the property owner or manager about the hazard posed to visitors. It’s also important that the witness stick to his or her story, as someone who changes his or her testimony, for instance, will be unlikely to convince anyone of the truth of the cause of the fall. Furthermore, while many slip and fall claims are settled out of court, many must be tried in front of a judge, which means that the eyewitness must be willing and able to testify in court.

Reach Out to Our Tampa Slip and Fall Lawyers Today 

Slip and fall accidents occur a lot more often than most people realize, causing serious injuries to Florida residents. Fortunately, it is possible to hold negligent property owners accountable for failing to keep their premises safe. One of the best ways to do so is to have an eyewitness on your side who can testify as to the cause of your fall. For help building a case against the property owner responsible for your own fall-related injuries, please reach out to the experienced Tampa slip and fall attorneys at Anderson & Anderson by calling our office at 813-251-0072 today. You can also set up a meeting by sending us an online message.

Sources: 

leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0768/Sections/0768.0755.html

4dca.flcourts.gov/content/download/2080965/opinion/Opinion_2022-2899.pdf