Yes. Target is responsible for the slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall dangers that arise in its parking lot. If a customer trips on some damaged landscaping or slips backward on a crumbling sidewalk, Target could be liable for the recovery costs for an injury.
Who Is Responsible If I Fall and Get Hurt in a Target Parking Lot?
Target is liable for the safety of customers inside and outside its locations under California premises liability laws. These laws require all businesses that welcome customers and clients in to show a “duty of care.”
Target managers and employees must be careful not to create hazards during their normal scope of work that could cause an accident. This would include a landscaping crew hired by Target to care for the outside of the store.
Managers and employees must also inspect for damage that other customers create, or that are caused by mother nature. Such as an oil spill from a car, or a pothole that develops as a tripping hazard. Target must act in a reasonable amount of time to remove or repair these obstacles. If someone comes along and falls, Target can be fully liable for the costs to treat the injury and other damages victims may encounter.
Unfortunately, any giant business like Target will have a team of lawyers who will help the store wiggle out of taking responsibility. They will try to pin the accident on the victim or try to find doctors who will say the injury isn’t all that bad and won’t require expensive care.
Having a skilled California slip-and-fall lawyer protects you from these tactics meant to rob you of recovery support. Your lawyer’s skill and experience can often lead to bigger settlement checks than you could secure by filing an injury claim yourself.
Common Parking Lot Hazards at Target
This “duty of care” Target must show applies to the entire store, the bathrooms, and even the parking lot that Target owns or operates.
Visitors must watch out for these and other fall hazards as they park and enter the store.
- Oil slicks – Slipping hazards where cars have laid down oil and other substances on the parking lot surface.
- Potholes – Trip-and-fall hazards that victims step in and are sent flying forward to land on a knee or on their faces to suffer a broken nose or a permanent scar.
- Landscaping – Mulch, limbs, and landscaping equipment might be left out to cause someone to slip or trip.
- Sidewalks – Debris left to build up on sidewalks and crumbling concrete can create tripping hazards that might cause a fall and a hip fracture.
- Inside the front door – On a rainy day, customers can bring the water inside as they walk into the store. Entrances need to be mopped regularly and “wet floor” signs must be out.
When victims do fall, they should contact 911 if they are injured and get checked out by paramedics. If they are left strong enough, they should act to get photos of the obstacle that caused their injury. They should secure contact information from witnesses. They should also alert a manager so that an incident report is created and proof of what happened exists.
Contact a California Slip-And-Fall Accident Attorney
If you only suffer some minor bruising and soreness after a fall in a store parking lot, you might not need a lawyer’s help to file your claim with Target. But if you endure a more serious injury, it’s a good idea to go over your options with a California Target slip-and-fall accident lawyer. A lawyer can often secure much more for you in a settlement claim than you could earn by handling the case yourself.
Contact Maison Law for a free, no-obligation consultation. It’s a no-risk way to find out what your injury is worth and what you should demand from unhelpful insurance companies. And if you feel we can help you earn more for your case, you don’t need to worry about finding the money to hire a lawyer. We don’t get paid unless we score a case victory for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement Target must provide to you.
