You might not be aware that slip and fall accidents in Philadelphia Target Stores are governed by the law of premises liability. This requires the property owner of any given retail property to maintain it in a reasonably safe condition. Safe conditions are free from hazards that could injure store customers. If the owner of a retail store breaches this duty and a customer is injured, liability for the injuries and damages will be an issue.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in Target Stores
There is a wide range of Target stores in and around the Philadelphia area. These stores sell products from all over, including beauty, health supplies, food, household goods, lawn and garden, and pet supplies. With such a wide variety of products, spilling is inevitable. This makes slip and fall accidents much more likely as well. Some of the most common causes of slip and fall accidents in Target stores are:
- Spilled oil or greasy substances
- Freshly mopped floors
- Freshly waxed floors
- Water tracked in from wet parking lots or sidewalks
- Spilled powdery substances
- Spilled food, drinks, and ice
- Plumbing issues
When Target is Negligent for Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall victims who are unable to prove that Target was negligent in maintaining its property to be reasonably safe are not entitled to compensation for their injuries. Alternatively, the victim must be able to prove that:
- There was a dangerous condition on the property that caused an unreasonable risk of harm
- Target was aware of or should have been aware of the hazardous conditions
- Target failed to remedy the condition or give customers an appropriate warning of it
The evidence supporting a slip-and-fall claim and all victims’ negligence claims includes surveillance footage of the accident, witness accounts, and medical, paramedic, or emergency room records.
Slip and Fall Injuries in Philadelphia Target Stores
Slipping and falling usually involves a backward or sideward fall. In most instances, both legs fly out from under the victim, causing gravity to pull them to the ground. Falls are mostly on solid concrete bases, which can be very painful. These falls result in serious and permanent injuries, such as:
- Traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries
- Skull and vertebrae fractures or disc herniations
- Shoulder, elbow, and wrist fractures
- Hip and ankle fractures
- Damage to the shoulder and knee cartilage
- Soft tissue injuries
The defenses available to Target slip and fall cases involve customers who were fully aware of the hazardous condition and chose to disregard it, the victim was in an area that was not open to customers, Target employees and managers had no knowledge of the hazardous condition, or there was no dangerous condition at all.
Comparative Negligence
Whenever a big corporation store like Target is involved in a slip and fall claim, they will almost always allege that the victim was partially to blame for the accident. This ultimately becomes a fact for the jury to decide in court. Juries could attribute most of the fault to Target, with only a small part to the victim. A perfect example of this might include 20% of the fault being placed on the victim, so a $100,000 settlement verdict would be reduced to only $80,000.
Call the Slip and Fall Attorneys at Kwartler Manus Today
Being injured in a slip and fall accident at a Target requires the victim to immediately report it to management. Once it has been reported, the victim must get to the emergency room right away because symptoms and injuries need to be recorded. Victims are encouraged not to wash clothes and to request a copy of the video surveillance from the store. The slip and fall attorneys at Kwartler Manus will want that evidence preserved. Act quickly, though; you don’t want to sit around with an injury that could be serious. Call us today at (267) 457-5570 to schedule a consultation.