Almost everyone knows that Target is one of the most popular stores in the United States. Target has more than 1,800 locations nationwide! When you go to Target, you can find almost anything—clothing, electronics, housewares, pharmaceuticals, and groceries all under one roof. Unfortunately, you may also leave with a serious premises liability injury and a hard legal road ahead of you!
Target stores are prime locations for slip and fall and trip and fall injuries since the stores are so big and often understaffed. Customers slip and fall in Target all the time—and Target does not make it easy for these victims to get compensation for their injuries.
Remember, if you were injured in a Target retail store, you need a law firm that knows how to fight and win these claims. Our attorneys have been beating major corporations like Target at their own game for decades, so call us right now at 1-800-898-4877 or contact us by clicking HERE to discuss your case for free.
Take it from us—you may become more frustrated by trying to get paid for your injuries than by your injuries themselves. We’ve seen it happen, but we are here to tell you some SECRETS that Target doesn’t want you to know!
SECRET #1—Target May Act Like It Cares—But It Does NOT
If you fall down in a Target store, chances are the manager will fawn all over you after the fact. It may seem like they care, but really the manager is trying to keep Target out of trouble. They may want you to fill out an accident report and tell them every detail about what happened—but be careful when doing so—and think about consulting an attorney first! If you provide any details in this accident report that admits the slightest bit of fault (“I wasn’t watching where I was going” or “I may have been looking at my shopping list”), Target can later use your OWN STATEMENTS against you. This store wants to avoid paying people for slip and fall and trip and fall claims, and they will make every effort to do so.
SECRET #2—Target’s Insurance Company Cares About Target, NOT You
Companies like Target carry insurance to cover customers who are injured when employees get careless. As a result, if you are hurt in a slip and fall that takes place at a Target, chances are that you will deal with an insurance company representative very soon.
While these representatives try to seem polite and genuinely concerned about covering your losses, remember that their goal is NOT YOUR WELL-BEING. Instead, they care about one thing and ONE THING ONLY: how to minimize how much Target and the insurance company has to pay. It can be hard to believe that companies would act this way to someone who was hurt while spending money in one of their stores, but trust us, they will do everything in their power to pay as little as possible!
SECRET #3—A Recorded Statement Cannot Help You, But It CAN Hurt You!
Insurance company representatives often ask that you provide recorded statements regarding your accident, and they’ll tell you that doing so is necessary or will help move the claims process along. In some cases, they may even claim that the company has a “right” to obtain your side of the story before they process the claim.
This is NOT TRUE! Before a lawsuit is filed, you have no obligation to give a recorded statement. In fact, doing so without an attorney can HURT your claim. The only reason that an insurance company wants to get your statement is the chance that you may say something that it can use against you. The insurer doesn’t care about your side of the story unless something you say makes Target look better! For this reason, NEVER provide a recorded or written statement before talking to a lawyer.
SECRET #4—See a Doctor
Slips and falls often cause serious injuries that typically mean trips to the hospital—for broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, dislocations, serious lacerations, and spinal cord injuries. They can also cause milder injuries that victims assume will simply resolve on their own without medical treatments, such as back or neck pain, cuts, scrapes, bruises, or bumps.
Here’s the thing though: Sometimes the injuries are worse than they appear at first, and sometimes they can even get worse over time. For this reason, everyone who was hurt in a slip and fall at Target or another store should see a medical provider right away. After a fall, a manager may try to downplay your injuries or claim that you seem fine. However, if you wait to see a doctor or don’t go at all, Target can try to use that as proof that you weren’t really injured! Protect yourself and head to the ER or an urgent care facility if you feel any pain after a slip and fall.
SECRET #5—Talk to a Lawyer, Even if You Think the Accident Was Partially Your Fault
If you were injured in a slip and fall accident that was partially your fault, you may hesitate to talk to an attorney, as you may believe that you don’t have a case. Target’s insurance company may also keep telling you that the fall was your fault, so you shouldn’t bother calling a lawyer.
What they won’t tell you is that in most states, the law allows people to get partial payments for their injuries even if they had something to do with the accident. For example, in some “comparative fault” states, if you are 10 percent at fault for a slip and fall accident because you texted with a friend when it occurred and were awarded $100,000, you would receive $90,000 ($100,000 – $10,000 = $90,000). Getting partially paid is better than not getting paid at all, so ALWAYS talk to an attorney before you believe anything the insurance company says so you can maximize your recovery.
The attorneys of Stewart J. Guss, Attorney at Law are nationally recognized slip and fall and trip and fall premises liability lawyers who have protected the rights of injured victims for more than 20 years. If you were injured in an accident at Kroger or any other store, call our office right now to schedule a free consultation! Because we take all of our personal injury cases on a contingent fee basis, you will not owe us a DIME unless we win your case. To schedule your case evaluation, call us today at (800) 898-4877 or contact us now by clicking HERE.
