Slipping on wet spots isn’t the only cause of injuries at grocery stores. People also trip on bunched up floor mats, get struck by items falling from shelves, and get in the way of faulty automatic doors. If you suffer from an injury due to one of the incidents mentioned above or another mishap, speak to a personal injury attorney. To strengthen your case, they’ll advise you to take the following steps. 

How to Handle Getting Hurt at a Grocery Store

Tell Management Immediately

Regardless of the extent of the injury, let the manager know what happened right after the incident. If you’re caught on security cameras continuing to shop or if you leave the store and call to report the incident later, the management team will question the severity of your injuries. 

Request an Investigation by a Manager

When you report the incident to a manager, the documentation process begins. Insist they accompany you back to the scene to see the conditions that led to your injuries, such as a messy floor or damaged shelf.

The manager should also take pictures, as they can be used by your attorney as evidence later. If an incident report isn’t provided via store policy, write a formal letter at the store outlining what happened and sign and date the paperwork. Ask the store for a copy and take a picture of the manager holding the document, if possible. 

Do Your Own Detective Work

To be able to describe the accident to a personal injury attorney, have a clear picture of what caused the unsafe conditions. This can be used to show the grocery store did not uphold a reasonable level of care for the safety of its customers.

On your phone, use the voice record feature when you talk to the manager and interview witnesses. Take your own pictures of the scene. Write down your injuries and whether clothing was ripped or stained. Email the photographs, recordings, and notes to your inbox and your personal injury attorney.

If you got hurt in a grocery store, contact the personal injury attorneys at Reed & Terry, L.L.P.  Serving Harris and Fort Bend counties in Texas since 1994, these lawyers have over 100 years of combined experience getting clients compensation after car accidents, slips and falls, injuries from defective medical devices, and other unfortunate events. For a consultation at the Sugar Land, Richmond, or Katy locations, call (281) 491-5000. See the firm’s verdict and settlement track record online.