If you are injured due to a fall in a local store while shopping, you may be eligible for compensation for your injuries. Here are a few details about personal injuries that occur while shopping in a retail establishment to help you decipher whether or not you have a valid personal injury case and what you may need to do to support it:

How did your fall occur?

When it comes to accident-related compensation, one of the most important aspects of a fall in a public place is how it occurred. In order for your injuries to be eligible for retribution, someone has to be at fault. The store where you fell and its representatives must be found negligent. In other words, the store's representatives had to have a way of preventing your injuries from occurring if they had taken proper precautions. 

If you slipped on a wet floor, was a "wet floor" sign in place, and if not, had enough time elapsed since the spill for the sign to be brought out? Did the store's employees make a reasonable effort to remove the spill? Who created the spill, and were the workers in the store aware of it?

Did you contact an ambulance or ask for medical help?

Most injury cases involve significant harm to the injured party. If you simply scraped your knee, your compensation, if any, would be minimal. If you contacted an ambulance or called for medical help, you will likely have proof of the extent of your injuries and that they were caused by your accident.

Medical providers who arrive at the scene of a fall record the steps taken to provide you with the care that you need. Additional medical notes are recorded by emergency room personnel and other staff members who treat your injuries. These notes are important to your case since they substantiate your claims of injury.

Did you sign paperwork from the store's insurer?

It's important to avoid signing paperwork from the store's insurance representative without the guidance of a personal injury attorney. Sometimes, insurance representatives from the store may present you with documents that allow you to sign away your rights to compensation. This can prevent you from seeking payment for your damages in the future.

If you have fallen in a store and become injured, contact a personal injury attorney in your area to schedule a consultation. Many personal injury lawyers offer initial consultations at no charge.