Maison Law helps victims of slip and fall accidents throughout Turlock. While places like Target are fun and convenient places to shop, there’s always the risk of slip and fall accidents there. We know it’s tough when you get hurt, especially because of negligence by Target’s staff or management. No matter who’s at fault, our skilled slip-and-fall lawyers in Turlock are here to help. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about your options and how we can support you.
Do You Need Our Lawyers?
It’s unfortunate how often people get hurt at Targets in Turlock and elsewhere. At the same time, whether you need legal help depends on your situation. Minor injuries may not require our lawyers, but you still have the right to file an injury claim.Where you would really need our team is if your injuries are serious. Our initial consultation is free and crucial for understanding your case. Here’s how we can help you:
- We’ll collect important evidence like medical records and accident reports to make your case stronger.
- We’ll talk to the insurance company of the store that caused your injuries to get a fair deal.
- If we can’t agree on a fair deal, we’ll work with you to start the legal process by filing a lawsuit. Then we’ll stand up for you in court.
- If the insurance company or the store doesn’t want to be fair, we’ll go to trial. A judge and jury will decide the outcome.
Causes of Slip and Falls
When you stop to think about a slip and fall accident, it’s really no surprise that Target and similar stores often have them. Slip-and-fall incidents can occur inside the store or, more commonly, outside in the parking lots and surrounding areas. While common, it’s ultimately up to store management to keep you and other customers safe. Here’s a look at some of the more common causes of these accidents:
- Wet floors – Spills or wet areas in places like the entrance, bathrooms, or grocery sections can make people slip. If these areas aren’t cleaned up or marked promptly, accidents can occur.
- Damaged flooring – Uneven floors, torn carpets, or damaged tiles can make people trip. Target needs to keep their floors in good condition to prevent accidents.
- Cluttered aisles – Items left in walkways can block customers’ paths and increase the chances of tripping and falling.
- Poor lighting – Bad lighting can make it hard for customers to see hazards on the floor, making accidents more likely.
- Negligent maintenance – Not fixing loose handrails, broken stairs, or poorly maintained parking lots can lead to slip-and-fall accidents.
- Bad weather conditions – If there aren’t proper mats or warning signs during rainy or foggy weather, it can cause slip-and-fall accidents at the store’s entrance.
- Negligent staffing – Not enough staff or employees not paying attention may miss hazards and not deal with them quickly.
- Failure to warn – Target should put up clear signs warning about wet floors, maintenance areas, or other hazards.
Unfortunately, these problems are often seen in Turlock’s Target stores. So, it’s easy to see how these things can happen to you–and why you might need the help of our legal team. But every accident is different, so you need to know what to do.
What You Need to Do After a Slip and Fall at Target?
Obviously, nobody walks into a Target and expects to get injured–particularly in a slip and fall type accident which is probably preventable. This makes a slip and fall extremely frustrating. But it’s important that you stay calm and take action to protect your potential claim:
- Get help – The very first thing you need to do is get medical help. A Target employee should help you with this, but get first aid to take care of any immediate injuries. Next, you’ll want to go to an emergency room or urgent care for more extensive help and documentation.
- Report the accident – This is extremely important to your overall claim. Report the accident to a Target employee or management as soon as possible. Also, ask them to make an incident report detailing the date, time, location, and circumstances. Make sure to obtain a copy of the report for your records.
- Gather evidence – If possible, document the accident scene by taking pictures or videos with your phone. Get documentation of any hazards present, and your injuries. These will serve as vital evidence later on.
- Speak with witnesses – Get the names and contact information of any witnesses as their testimonies may be pivotal to your claim.
- Preserve damaged items – Keep the clothing and footwear worn during the accident as they could potentially serve as evidence. Also, don’t fix or replace anything that was broken.
- Document your injuries – Keep a record of your injuries with photographs taken over time and maintain a journal noting any pain, discomfort, or limitations you experience. Also, keep copies of all medical records, bills, and receipts related to your treatment as they will be important for potential damages.
- Be cautious – Try not to discuss the incident with Target’s legal or insurance representatives without first consulting with our team of lawyers. Anything you say could be used against you. Also, don’t talk about the incident on social media.
Taken together, these measures will not only protect your claim, but are vital for your overall health and safety. After all, while your legal options are important, it’s your health that should always be the top priority.
Liability and Damages in a Target Slip and Fall Accident
Being injured in any slip-and-fall accident is going to mean that you have legal options. When this happens at Target, though, it makes things a little easier. As a business, Target and its management have a:
- Duty of care to keep you and other customers safe.
When they breach that duty and it causes your accident and injuries, the Target store is generally responsible for covering your injuries. That said, there’s a variety of other parties involved that could share some of this liability:
- Target employees
- Product manufacturers
- Security or maintenance contractors
- Other customers
To build a slip and fall case, it’s crucial to demonstrate that the property owner (Target’s management) either knew about the dangerous condition (actual notice) or should have known about it by conducting reasonable inspections (constructive notice).
Damages
Once liability is established, our team can assist you in pursuing damages through either an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit, and sometimes both avenues are pursued concurrently.
Taking on a corporate entity like Target might seem daunting, given its vast resources, but our seasoned slip-and-fall lawyers will stand by you throughout the process. Regardless of the path you choose, potential damages you could recover include:
- Medical expenses, including doctor’s visits, medications, or going through therapy to help you get better after an injury.
- Pain and suffering, which covers the physical pain and mental suffering you go through because of the accident and your injuries.
- Lost income or future earning potential for any work missed or earnings lost.
- Repair or replacement costs for any personal property that was damaged.
- Loss of enjoyment of life, which covers any changes to your personal quality of life or your relationships (companionship.)
- Emotional distress, which is different from pain and suffering. It is meant to address the emotional fallout of the accident and your injuries.
- Punitive damages, which are rare. Still, when Target was very careless or reckless, they might have to pay extra as a punishment to stop them from doing it again.
These damages are vital for aiding in your recovery after a slip-and-fall accident, whether at Target or anywhere else. While navigating through such a challenging situation, our experienced slip-and-fall accident lawyers in Turlock are here to support you.
Free Consultations for Target Slip and Fall Victims in Turlock
At Maison Law, we understand that going to a Target shouldn’t leave you or your loved ones facing injuries and other challenges. Unfortunately, a slip and fall is one of the most common things that can lead to this in Turlock. When it does, our Turlock slip-and-fall accident lawyers will be there to hold Target and anyone else responsible accountable for their negligence. To get started, contact us today for a free consultation.
