How to Preserve Surveillance Video After a Slip and Fall
Surveillance video is often the best evidence in a fall case, and it is also the easiest to lose — many systems overwrite footage within days. This checklist covers how to protect it.
Act immediately
Video can be overwritten in days or even hours, so the request to preserve it should go out as soon as possible after the fall.
Identify the cameras
Note which cameras may have captured the hazard, your fall, and the area beforehand (to show how long the hazard was present).
Make a written preservation request
A written request (a preservation or 'spoliation' letter) asks the property owner to keep the footage and not overwrite it. A lawyer can send this quickly.
Ask for a broad time window
Request footage from well before the fall, not just the moment of it, since earlier footage can show how long the hazard existed — key to proving notice.
Follow up in writing
Confirm the request was received and keep a record, so there is proof if the footage is later lost or destroyed.
The deadlines and rules depend on your state
The steps above apply wherever you were hurt. Filing deadlines, fault rules, and limits on damages differ by state — pick yours for what applies to slip and fall.
Not sure where you stand?
A quick, confidential review can tell you — about two minutes, no cost, no obligation.
This is general information, not legal advice. Every situation is different, and the law differs by state.