Did you slip and hurt yourself at the grocery store? You don't just have to deal with your injury on your own. There is financial help available to pay for your medical bills, lost wages if you have to miss work, and even money for your pain and suffering. If you fell at the store, you are probably at least a little bit injured, even if it is only bruises. Bruises will make you sore, and if the fall was due to negligence on the part of the store, you shouldn't have to be sore. Plus, the store should be made to take precautions so that no one else is injured on their property in the future.

You can make a difference in your own life and in the safety of other customers to the grocery store by calling a personal injury attorney to take on your case. After you call the attorney and retain them, here are the next three things you need to do.

1. Get Proof of the Dangerous Conditions in the Store That Led to Your Fall

The type of proof you will be able to get at the scene will depend on how seriously you were injured. Since proof is such a big part of winning slip and fall cases, though, it is important that you get as much proof at the scene as you are able. Proof can be:

• Photos you take of the scene that show the unsafe conditions of that area of the store (you can use your phone to do this)
• Interviews with people at the store who witnessed your accident (you can record them on your phone with their permission)
• Getting the names and contact information of any witnesses to the accident

If you aren't able to do these things on your own, get your shopping companion to do it while you wait for an ambulance to come get you. If you are shopping alone, get as much information as you can before you leave the store.

Evidence from the scene is always best in court. If this is not possible due to the extent of your injury, your personal injury attorney will interview store employees and will possibly submit security camera footage on your behalf later.

2. Fill Out an Official Report of Your Accident

The store may ask you to do this, or you may need to speak with a manager and request to fill out an accident report. Depending on how big the store is, they may have a claims department that handles this type of thing.

According to Accident-Law.FreeAdvice.com, you shouldn't indicate that you aren't injured on these forms. Even if you are only injured slightly, it still counts. If you write that you are fine on your accident report, it could jeopardize your personal injury case. Even a bruise can win you a monetary award in court if the bruise was the store's fault.

3. Seek Medical Attention

You should do this as soon as possible after your accident. If your injuries are slight, you can do it after completing the first two steps. If your injuries are severe, this will need to be your first step, and the other two can be done later.

The longer you wait to seek medical attention, the more of a negative impact it may have on your case. Either go to the hospital or to your family doctor, depending on how badly you were injured. Be sure to get photographs of any visible injuries, as these will be valuable in your case later.

Conclusion

Slip and fall accidents in grocery stores can be caused by a variety of things. Wet floors that aren't clearly marked (or are), debris left in the aisles, snow or ice in the parking lot, or stock left sticking out beyond the edge of a low shelf can all cause injuries.

Whether your injury is minor or severe, you are entitled to compensation for it. Contact a personal injury lawyer as soon after your injury as possible and make sure the store pays you what they owe you for your accident on their property.

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