If you’re injured at Target in California, you should seek medical attention, report the incident to store management, document the accident scene, and contact a personal injury lawyer.
Stores like Target have large corporate legal teams that fight slip-and-fall claims aggressively. If you need to file a claim, a Los Angeles Target slip and fall accident lawyer from Sweet James can gather supporting evidence and advocate for you throughout the legal process.
What to Do If You Are Injured at a Target in California
Your actions after an accident at Target can affect the strength of your premises liability case. It’s important to:
- Seek medical attention: If you suffer a serious injury, visit Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles General Medical Center, or another nearby hospital. If your injuries are minor, you should still get evaluated at a California urgent care center. Your medical records will help connect your injuries to the accident.
- Report the accident to Target management: Notify a store manager or employee about what happened as soon as possible. Ask them to document the incident and prepare an official accident report. Provide basic information about where and when the accident happened and request a copy of the report (or its reference number).
- Document the accident scene: If you are physically able, take photographs and videos of the hazard that caused your injury, the surrounding area, nearby warning signs, and any visible injuries. Try to document the condition of the area before employees clean it up or remove the hazard.
- Talk to witnesses: Other customers or employees may have seen the accident or noticed the dangerous conditions that caused it before you fell. Ask these witnesses for their names and contact information. Their statements may help establish how long a hazard existed and whether employees knew about it.
- Save evidence: Save damaged clothing and shoes, medical bills, prescription receipts, discharge paperwork, documentation of missed work, and anything else that may support your slip and fall case.
- Be careful with your statements: Target or its insurance representatives may contact you to ask questions about the accident. Do not provide any recorded statements, sign any documents, or agree to a settlement until you consult a lawyer.
- Contact a premises liability lawyer: An attorney from Sweet James can help you understand the value of your claim and avoid mistakes that could impact your ability to recover compensation.
Can You Sue Target for an Injury in California?
Yes, you can sue Target for an injury in California if the store’s negligence caused your injury. To establish a premises liability claim, you generally must prove the following elements:
- Duty of care: Target owed you a duty to maintain reasonably safe premises.
- Breach of duty: Target failed to exercise reasonable care, such as by allowing a spill to remain on the floor without appropriate warnings or cleanup.
- Causation: The company’s failure caused or contributed to your accident and injuries.
- Damages: You suffered actual losses, such as medical expenses, lost wages, or physical pain.
Even if employees did not have actual knowledge of the hazard that caused your fall, you may establish constructive notice by showing that the hazard existed long enough that reasonable inspections would have discovered it. A slip and fall accident attorney from Sweet James can evaluate your situation and explain whether you have grounds to sue Target.
What If I Was Partially at Fault?
In many cases, you can still recover compensation if you were partially at fault for a slip and fall accident at Target in California.
Since Li v. Yellow Cab Co. – 13 Cal. 3d 804, the state has followed a pure comparative negligence rule, meaning you can recover damages for an accident as long as you were not 100% at fault for it. However, your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
If you are found to be 100% responsible for the accident, you will be barred from seeking damages.
How Long Do You Have to File a Lawsuit Against Target in California?
You generally have two years from the date of an injury to file a lawsuit against Target in California under CCP § 335.1. If your injuries aren’t immediately apparent, the two-year clock may not start until the date the injury was discovered (or reasonably should have been discovered).
If you miss the applicable filing deadline, you may lose your right to pursue compensation in Los Angeles Superior Court. A premises liability lawyer from Sweet James can help you file a slip and fall accident claim before the statute of limitations expires.
Target Slip and Fall Accident FAQs
If you were recently injured at a Target store, you may have more questions about your legal options, the claims process, and what to expect. Here are some common questions and answers:
Does Target Have to Pay My Medical Bills After an Accident?
No, Target does not automatically have to pay your medical bills after an accident. To recover compensation for your medical expenses, you must prove that Target was negligent and that its negligence caused your injuries.
What If Target Refuses to Give Me an Accident Report?
If Target refuses to give you a copy of the accident report, you can still pursue a personal injury claim. A premises liability lawyer from Sweet James can attempt to obtain the report and help gather accident scene evidence and witness testimony that supports your story.
How Much Is a Target Injury Claim Worth?
How much a Target injury claim is worth depends on the extent of your medical expenses, the amount of time you miss at work due to your injuries, whether you share responsibility for the accident, and other case-specific factors.
A premises liability attorney from Sweet James can review your case and estimate the value of a potential personal injury claim.
Talk to a Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer in California
An injury at Target in California can leave you facing unexpected medical expenses, lost income, and a lengthy recovery. If you were injured at Target in California, a slip and fall accident attorney from Sweet James can help you build a strong claim and seek compensation.
Book a free case review to learn about your legal options.
