I slipped and fell in a California store. What should I do?

I’m sorry this happened. Safety comes first: seek urgent medical care or call 911 for a worsening headache, repeated vomiting, confusion, weakness, seizure, loss of consciousness, or other emergency symptoms after a fall. Follow medical directions and keep the records. If it is safe, report the incident to a manager; ask for the incident-report number and store/insurer contact information; photograph the area, hazard, footwear, and injuries; and obtain witness names and contact information. Preserve unaltered shoes and clothing, receipts, bills, treatment records, and a dated symptom-and-activity log. Do not assume you must sign an incident report or give a recorded statement before understanding it. A fall alone does not establish fault. California requires reasonable care. A claim generally depends on an unreasonably dangerous condition, whether the store created it or knew—or should reasonably have discovered it—and whether that caused harm. Video and inspection/cleaning records can be important, so a prompt written preservation request may help. For most private-store injury suits, the general deadline is two years from injury. If a public entity operated or controlled the location, a written government claim is generally due within six months, an important prerequisite. Shared control, other actors, and special statutory rules may affect the analysis; promptly identify the owner and operator.