No one expects to get hurt while shopping for groceries. But quite often, shoppers are injured at retailer premises due to the negligence of the store operator. Injuries can occur by slipping on liquids like melted ice, oils, and grease. Some liquids are hard to notice and will take a shopper by complete surprise. Shoppers can also get hurt by sharp objects, or falling merchandise that is unsecured, or merchandise displayed in an unsafe manner. If you’ve been injured at a store, you may not have the presence of mind to record and gather the information that will be vital to your recovery and compensation. The following tips can help protect you, and ensure a positive outcome if you’ve been injured while shopping.

• Report the incident immediately: Retail stores usually have a process for recording an injury incident. Seek out the store manager to report what happened, where the incident occurred, and the cause of the injury.
• Write down what happened: Retail stores will usually have incident forms to fill out following a store injury. Request a form, fill it out, and then take a photo of the form. If you are unable to write on the incident form, have someone else fill the form out for you. The written description is important evidence that will prove the incident occurred.
• Record witness information: Store-related injuries will usually have other shoppers nearby that witnessed the incident. Record witnesses’ contact information in case they are needed to recount what happened. If the witnesses leave without sharing their contact information, you will have no way to find them, and their witness testimony will not be accessible to you.
• Take photos and video: The best way to prove negligence by the store is with photos and video. Injury victims may not remember to take photos in the heat of the moment due to the shock and pain of the injury. However, recording the cause of the injury with photos can prove invaluable later on when the claim for compensation is presented. Photos should be taken as soon as possible and before the evidence disappears. Store employees will clean up quickly, or correct the dangerous situation immediately so that no one else gets hurt.

Call Izzy Yetnikoff for Help.

These steps will ensure you have the evidence and support needed to make a successful claim for compensation – especially if the store later denies that it was negligent.  If you suffer an incident or injury in a retail business, having a personal injury lawyer advocate on your behalf will relieve the complications, stress, and pressure. Izzy Yetnikoff has extensive experience representing retail injury victims. If you’ve been injured at a retail business, call Izzy Yetnikoff at Yetnikoff Law Offices, PLLC for help. Call us at 800-279-6331 or visit us online for more information.