In PRESERVE THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE!, electrical equipment failure expert witness Roger L. Boyell, writes:
As soon as you believe a legal action might be initiated, take pains to preserve whatever physical evidence may be relevant. Send in an investigator, take many photographs, expedite the discovery process.
Any delay allows potential evidence to be altered or disguised, as in the following real-world examples.
(1) A 240-volt coffee brewing machine is alleged to have shocked an employee resulting in permanent neural damage, most likely because the original installation failed to connect an electrical frame ground. After many months passed while preparing the case and filing suit, an examination of the machine now reveals the presence of a grounding conductor. Was it mounted originally, or installed during routine maintenance, or added because of the shock incident, or not installed until after notice of lawsuit? Timely documentation might have resolved whether the machine was grounded at the time of the incident.