How to Photograph in a Store and Elsewhere

 
The grocery store spill that had been tracked up and down the aisle and had dried (thereby showing that it had been there some time) will later be denied. The manager will not remember the floor as being in that condition. He will say it was a small, contained puddle, thereby implying that it was a recent spill that his store employees - in the exercise of due diligence and inspection tours - had not had time to discover. You will be at the mercy of his word versus your word.
 
If you carry a disposable camera with a flash in your car as recommended in our free downloadable Accident Information Form , either you or your friend could get the camera, go back into the store and (without first asking management) snap two or three pictures. There is an advantage to leaving the store, then coming back with the camera. You will have given the manager time to get busy elsewhere than the scene of your injury, so he won't be available to tell you not to take photographs.
 
Do not be bashful about photographing things while you are waiting for the police. Just do it. You won't regret it. Never ask anyone's permission. Take all the photos you want of the other party's vehicle. You may need them to show damage or angle of impact. Never ask permission to take photos if you have the right to be at the spot. Whether you're on the highway, in a grocery store or an apartment stairway, it does not matter - just take your photos and get out of there. You know what will happen if you ask the store manager or the apartment manager. They will call their insurance adjuster or risk manager or attorney, and the answer will almost always be "No." You have every right to snap the photos. If a lawsuit were to be filed, you would have the right to take as many photos as necessary. What is the harm of taking them now? Ask the manager that if he asks what you think you're doing.
 
Remember that conditions will almost certainly change if you wait until next week or next month to take those photographs. Take them as soon after the accident as possible. If you cannot take them yourself, have a friend take them for you.