What to Do After a Store Injury in California
Getting hurt in a store is disorienting, and the evidence — especially the store's footage — can vanish within days. Here is a clear order of operations.
Get medical care
Take care of the injury first and keep the records. Prompt care protects your health and documents the harm, connecting it to the incident.
Report it and photograph the hazard
Report the injury to a manager so an incident report is created, and photograph the spill, fallen item, or hazard before staff clean it up. Your own photos are proof the store cannot overwrite.
Get witnesses and details
Get names and numbers for any witnesses and the employees involved, and note the store, aisle, and time — details that identify the footage that must be preserved.
Be careful with the adjuster
Be cautious about giving a recorded statement or accepting a quick offer from the store's insurer before you have advice. Early offers come before the footage and full harm are known.
Act fast to preserve the footage
Store footage is often overwritten within days. Getting advice quickly means a lawyer can demand the footage and sweep logs be preserved before they are gone.
Frequently asked questions
The store cleaned up the spill right away. Did I lose my case?
Not necessarily. Even after cleanup, the store's footage and sweep logs can establish the hazard and how long it was there. Your own photos and witnesses help too, which is why acting quickly matters.
This article is general information about California injury law, not legal advice. Every case is different — talk to a lawyer about your situation.
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