Victims who slip in the produce section of a California Target must take action to seek injury support from the store and its corporate owners. The costs of medical bills and lost income should never fall to victims. Settlement checks must also cover the physical pain victims must endure and the emotional trauma a serious injury can cause.
Produce Section Dangers in Target
Target locations can be found across California. Their stores feature a fairly complete grocery section and the bigger stores also include produce sections.
These sections can be the most dangerous areas for customers who can easily fall on a piece of fruit on the floor or slip on a puddle of water created by a sprinkler.
These hazards are fully Target’s responsibility. Under California’s premises liability laws, the big box store must act to keep customers safe at all times. When they let debris sit on the floor or allow puddles to grow, they can be fully liable when someone gets hurt.
Trip-and-fall injuries happen more than you might think, especially in a busy place like Target.
- Water from vegetable misters and spray hoses pooling on the floor and causing a slip-and-fall hazard
- Fruit or vegetables like bananas or grapes, ending up on the tile and being trampled under foot, until they are mushy slipping hazards. Hard veggies like potatoes and apples can also end up on the floor to cause tripping dangers or roll people’s feet out from under them.
- Rugs put in place to make floors less slippery can roll up and curl to create trip-and-fall hazards
Target may be liable for their negligence in not clearing these obstacles, but corporate owners can also fight back and try to find ways to blame the victim. They may claim that the injured patient was wearing worn shoes, and that’s why the fall occurred.
Target’s legal team may also argue over a doctor’s diagnosis and claim that the injuries aren’t all that bad. They can question how much care you’ll need in the months ahead. Lawyers can claim that your injury is fully healed or imply that your injury was pre-existing. They want an excuse to pay you far too little or to reject your claim completely.
What to Do If You Fall in a Target Produce Section
See to your safety first. If you are injured, dial 911 and get an ambulance on the way. Allow paramedics to check out every pain you experience and go to the emergency room if necessary.
If you feel okay to move around, you should immediately start gathering evidence for your case. Your slip-and-fall lawyer will fully investigate your accident, but some of the best evidence will be found on the scene of your accident in the moments after it happens.
The hazard that sent you to the ground will probably be cleaned up or repaired not long after you leave the scene. Try to collect these details.
- Use your phone to get pictures and videos of the obstacle that caused you to fall. Show a puddle, a curled-up rug, or a produce item that tripped you.
- Alert a store manager about what happened. The manager will need to fill out an incident report for their corporate files. This report may go a long way to proving your innocence and Target’s mistake.
- Get contact information from any witnesses.
- See your own doctor even if you have been to the emergency room. In the shock of what’s happened, you may not feel the pain of an injury until the next day. A doctor can identify hairline fractures and brain injuries. Follow your doctor’s instructions.
Speak to a lawyer soon. Once an accident occurs, California allows victims up to two years to file a claim for damages. However, it’s important not to wait months or years to explore filing an injury claim.
The longer you wait, the harder it will be for your Slip-And-Fall Lawyer to investigate your case, secure documents, and track down witnesses. Your lawyer will also want to request any Target security footage before it is erased. You want to give your lawyer the best chance to build a strong case so you can secure money for every recovery bill.
Contact a California Slip-And-Fall Accident Attorney
If you only suffer some minor bruising or cuts in your fall, 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 skilled lawyer. When medical bills run higher, a lawyer can often secure you much more for your claim than you could win for 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 secure much more for your injury claim, you don’t have to struggle to find the money to pay us. We don’t get paid unless we win your claim for you. Then our attorney fee comes out of the settlement check Target provides to you and your family.
