Let me break down what you need to do from day one to make your case strong.

First: physical evidence preservation. Photographs are everything. If you fall on a wet floor at a grocery store, that wet floor needs to be photographed. The wet floor sign that was or wasn't there needs to be photographed. The condition of your clothing after the fall, your injuries at the scene—all of it. If you can't photograph it yourself because you're injured, ask someone else to do it immediately. Once a store cleans up, those photos are your proof of what was there. After a few hours, that evidence is gone.

Second: witness information. Get the names, phone numbers, and addresses of anyone who saw what happened. Don't rely on the store manager to "get that for you." Get it yourself, right there at the scene. I've worked cases where witnesses disappeared before trial because nobody captured their contact information. That's a catastrophe for your claim.

Third: incident reports. File one with the property owner immediately. For a store, that's usually the manager on duty. For a restaurant, that's the owner or manager. Get a copy for yourself. Document exactly what happened, when it happened, and what condition you found that caused the fall. This is critical because insurance companies will argue later that you're misremembering or exaggerating. Your contemporaneous incident report is proof of what you said right away.

Fourth: get proper medical documentation timed correctly. See a doctor the day of the fall if possible, or at the latest within 48 hours. Why? Because if you wait a week and then show up at the hospital with injuries, the defense will argue you must have fallen again or hurt yourself in the meantime. A same-day or next-day medical record documents that your injuries came from this specific fall.

Fifth: avoid giving recorded statements to the insurance company without legal representation. This is huge. Insurance companies will call you after your fall and say, "We just need to get your statement about what happened." What they're really doing is trying to lock you into a story they can later use against you. They'll twist your words, claim you said things you didn't say, or use technical language in a way that makes it sound like you admitted liability. If you give a statement, have an attorney present.

Sixth: document your damages thoroughly. Keep receipts for everything related to your injury: medical bills, physical therapy, medications, travel to medical appointments, lost wages. Keep a journal of your pain, your limitations, how the injury affected your daily life. This documentation becomes the foundation for your settlement demand.

And seventh: preserve the location. If your slip and fall happened somewhere you have a legitimate reason to return—your workplace, a place you shop regularly—photograph it again a week later, a month later. Document whether the hazardous condition still exists. Document whether the property owner has made any changes to prevent future falls. All of this is evidence.

Slip and fall cases are won by attorneys who are meticulous about evidence and documentation. When you handle these details properly from day one, you create a narrative that's hard for insurance companies to fight. They become more willing to settle because the risk of losing at trial increases. You give yourself leverage.

If you've already had a slip and fall accident, don't panic if it's been a few days. But start documenting now. And please, call me at 312-500-4500 at our Oak Brook office. We handle slip and fall cases, and we know how to build them properly.