Slip and Fall Evidence: Records to Preserve
A useful fall record identifies the exact surface or obstacle, who controlled it, and what anyone knew before the event. A picture of the injury cannot answer those questions. California premises instructions address a dangerous condition, reasonable care and, in some settings, actual or constructive notice; the evidence needed depends on the property and the condition.
Hurt Advice editorial guide. Source review: . This guide does not state that the attorney authored, reviewed or approved it. Visit the profile for public licensing and background records.
Review the attorney’s public background, then confirm experience and availability directly.
Raffi Naljian
Founder, Civil Litigation, Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Attorney
Raffi Garabed Naljian is the founder of Naljian Law Offices and an active California attorney under State Bar #238919. A Los Angeles Times profile says he founded the firm in 2008 after beginning his legal career in 1997, and the State Bar lists personal injury, litigation, criminal law, and business law among his self-reported practice areas.
View Raffi Naljian's full verified profilePrimary identity record
Learn more about Raffi Naljian
This is a focused supporting page. Use Raffi Naljian's full sourced attorney profile as the primary identity record for biography, role, languages, office information, and public-record links. Review that profile alongside the issue-specific preparation and public sources below.
The State Bar record lists Raffi Garabed Naljian as an active California attorney, State Bar #238919. Hurt Advice is a separate referral and legal information service, not the attorney's law firm.
How to Evaluate Attorney Fit for This Issue
Use this worksheet to distinguish a store aisle, rented property, public walkway or another setting. Counsel can evaluate the applicable duty, control, notice and any claim process; the public profile only helps a reader decide whom to contact. This guide is Hurt Advice editorial material.
Consultation worksheet
Fall hazard, control and notice worksheet
Write one source or custodian per row. Mark firsthand observations, later reports and legal inferences separately; do not enter private medical details here.
There is no submit or save action. Copy your notes before leaving this page.
Which original image or witness shows the surface, lighting and warning at the time? Was the hazard changed before the photo?
Who owned, leased, cleaned or maintained this exact area? Which agreement or public map might resolve a shared boundary?
Who holds prior complaint, sweep, work-order or incident records? Does any source show when the condition arose?
Which camera operator or observer had a useful view? Has preservation been acknowledged, and what remains inaccessible?
Which clinical note and original injury photo establish dates and reported symptoms? What cause remains uncertain?
Sources for this guide
- Judicial Council of California: Civil Jury Instructions (2026), CACI 1003 and 1011
Official premises-liability instructions addressing dangerous conditions, reasonable care and notice where applicable.
- California Civil Code section 1714
General California duty provision; it does not decide which property actor controlled this particular hazard.
- California Government Code section 835
Dangerous-condition elements for qualifying public-property claims, including causation and creation or notice.
- California Courts: Subpoena business records
Explains the formal process for obtaining nonparty business records in a lawsuit and the notice required for consumer or employee records; a private request alone does not compel production.
What to Do Next
- 1Record the exact aisle, stair, walkway or surface and any warning, light or obstruction from a safe place; keep original images and note if conditions later changed.
- 2Identify property management, tenant, maintenance vendor and witnesses; ask for an incident number and note who received the report.
- 3List potential video, inspection and complaint holders and request preservation through appropriate channels without assuming you may inspect private systems.
- 4Keep the footwear or relevant item unchanged when practical, and match dated injury records to the event rather than estimating future effects.
Evidence Checklist
- Original close and wide scene photos showing the condition, route and any warnings
- Incident-report number and contacts for witnesses, management and maintenance
- Footwear condition, receipt or location identifiers, and dated medical documentation
- Written video or maintenance request and response, including any stated retention or access limit
Keep your unanswered questions handy when comparing the attorney’s public profile with your needs.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming the premises owner, tenant and maintenance company are the same controller
- Treating a photo taken after cleanup as proof of how long a spill existed
- Claiming a right to review private footage or inspection logs merely because an incident was reported
How the Process Typically Works
Pin down the condition
Describe the exact hazard, location and any change between the fall and later photographs.
Identify control and notice
Map the property and maintenance holders, prior reports, inspection records and independent witnesses.
Review the legal path
Ask counsel whether public-property procedures or other rules apply before relying on a general deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a missing warning sign establish liability?
No. A warning is one fact; the condition, control, reasonable care, notice and causation still require evidence.
Can I demand a store’s camera or sweep log?
You can identify the custodian and request preservation or voluntary access. Compelled production generally follows legal procedures, including discovery or a subpoena when applicable.
What if the fall was on public property?
First identify the responsible public entity and ask about the government-claim process promptly. California’s claim rules can differ from a suit against a private property owner.
Use the attorney’s public background as a starting point for a direct conversation about fit.
Related Resources
Free Intake Review
Share the basic facts and request help identifying an independent attorney who may be relevant
Secure intake request
Send your name and one way to reach you now. Case details are optional.
Important Disclosures
Attorney Advertising. Hurt Advice is a lawyer-referral and legal-information service, not a law firm. This website provides general information, not legal advice. Viewing a page or submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship. Independent participating attorneys decide whether to accept a matter, and representation begins only under a separate written agreement. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome; results depend on the facts and circumstances of each matter.