Slip and fall case evaluation checklist

A slip and fall case typically involves many different legal issues. How these issues are resolved will depend on the facts of your particular case and the evidence that is available to prove your case. In order to determine if there is evidence in your case sufficient to prove each of the required legal elements of a slip and fall claim, your personal injury lawyer will need answers to each of the items on the following checklist:

About you

  1. What is your full name?
  2. What is your current address?
  3. What was your address at the time of the accident?
  4. What is your date of birth and current age?
  5. How much do you weigh?
  6. How tall are you?
  7. Do you wear glasses? reading glasses only?
  8. Do you have any physical disabilities?
  9. At the time of the slip and fall, were you under the influence of alcohol? drugs? medication?

About the slip and fall accident

  1. What was the date of the slip and fall accident?
  2. At what time of day did the slip and fall accident occur?
  3. What is the address of the slip and fall accident site?
  4. What was your exact location on the premises at the time of the slip and fall?
  5. On what type of walkway did the slip and fall accident occur?
    • Floor
    • Stairway
    • Ramp
    • Sidewalk
    • Landing
    • Porch
    • Balcony
    • Stepping stones
    • Garden pathway
    • Parking lot
    • Other
  6. On what type of walkway surface did the slip and fall accident occur?
    • Wood
    • Vinyl tile
    • Ceramic tile
    • Marble
    • Terazzo
    • Quarry tile
    • Brick
    • Dirt
    • Concrete
    • Asphalt
    • Gravel
    • Grass
    • Other
  7. What was the condition of the walkway at the time of the slip and fall accident?
    • Dry
    • Wet (water)
    • Wet (oil)
    • Wet (gasoline)
    • Wet (other liquids — specify)
  8. What floor coating material was used?
    • Waxed
    • Unwaxed
    • Painted
    • Sealed
    • Rubber mats
    • Carpet
    • Polished
    • Throw rugs
    • Bath mats
    • Other (specify)
  9. What were the lighting conditions at the time of the slip and fall?
    • Natural
    • Artificial
    • Good
    • Fair
    • Dim
    • Dark
  10. Do you believe the amount of light was a cause of your slip and fall?

Mechanics of the slip and fall

  1. Were you walking? If so, were you walking:
    • Normal rate
    • Slowly
    • Fast
    • Running
    • Descending (a stairway? ramp? driveway? slope?)
  2. Did you slip? trip? twist your ankle?
  3. Did your foot slip forward? backward? sideways?
  4. Did you fall forward? backward? sideways?
  5. Did you fall on your buttocks? knees? hip? hands/arms?
  6. What is the location and type of your slip and fall injury?

Shoes you were wearing at the time of the slip and fall

  1. What type of shoes or footwear were you wearing?
    • Oxfords
    • Slip-ons
    • Sandals
    • Boots
    • Thongs
    • Other
  2. What style of heel were you wearing?
    • Low
    • Medium [1-1/12 to 2 in.]
    • Spike
    • Wedge
    • No heel
    • Other
  3. What was the sole material on the shoes you were wearing at the time of the slip and fall?
    • Leather
    • Neolite
    • Rubber
    • Nylon
    • Vinyl
    • Other
  4. What was the heel material on the shoes you were wearing at the time of the slip and fall?
    • Leather
    • Neolite
    • Rubber
    • Nylon
    • Vinyl
    • Other
  5. When and where were your shoes purchased?
  6. How would you describe the condition of your shoes at the time of the slip and fall?
    • New
    • Good
    • Average
    • Well worn
    • Poor
    • Were straps broken? Before or after the slip and fall?
  7. Have you worn those shoes since the slip and fall accident?
  8. Are the shoes available for testing?
  9. Where are the shoes located now?

Witnesses to the slip and fall

  1. At the time of the slip and fall, were you alone?
  2. If not, who was with you?
  3. Were there any (other) witnesses to the slip and fall? If so, describe for each witness:
    • Name
    • Gender
    • Approximate age
    • Hair color
    • Build
    • Was the witness wearing a uniform?
    • Did the witness speak to you? What was said?

Employees of defendant

  1. Did store or management personnel assist you after the slip and fall accident?
  2. What did they do?
  3. Did they say anything to you? What was said?
  4. What was the name of the employee who spoke to you? Describe him or her.
  5. Did an employee clean up spills or debris?
  6. What did the employee clean up?
  7. How did the employee clean it up?
  8. Did the employee call anyone else to accident scene?

Emergency medical personnel

  1. Was an ambulance or paramedics called to treat you following the slip and fall accident?
  2. Who called emergency medical personnel?
  3. How long after the slip and fall did they arrive?
  4. Did they render medical aid at the scene?
  5. What did they do?
  6. What was the name of the ambulance service or paramedics?
  7. Did they comment on the accident? What was said?
  8. Did you tell them what caused you to slip and fall? What did you tell them?

Emergency hospital treatment

  1. Were you transported to a hospital? Which one? Where?
  2. What treatment was given?
  3. Was a medical history taken?
  4. Did you make a statement regarding the accident? To whom? What did you say?
  5. How long was your stay in the hospital?
  6. What was the name of your treating doctor(s)?

Outpatient treatment

Your personal injury attorney will need a list of the physicians and other medical care providers you have seen (since you were hospitalized following the slip and fall, if that was the case) and the treatment each provided.

Statements, photographs & other documents

  1. Have you given any statements to any party regarding this slip and fall accident? If so:
    • Did you sign the statement?
    • Was it recorded?
    • Who took the statement?
    • Were you given a copy?
  2. Were any photographs taken of the accident scene? If so:
    • Who took them?
    • When?
    • Where are the photographs now?
    • Have you seen the photographs?
  3. Have there been any changes at the scene since the day of the slip and fall accident?
  4. If you were a customer at the time of the fall, do you have any receipts, credit cards, vouchers or cancelled checks that verify your status as a customer or the date on which the slip and fall occurred?