If you slipped and fell at a Target store in Missouri, get medical care, report the accident to a manager, photograph the hazard, collect witness information, and request preservation of surveillance footage. Keep your shoes, receipts, and medical records. You may have a personal injury claim if a dangerous condition caused your injuries and the store negligently failed to address it. Before accepting a settlement, speak with a Missouri slip and fall lawyer about the evidence, your losses, and your legal options.
Injured at Target in St. Louis or elsewhere in Missouri? Call Sansone & Lauber at 314-863-0500 for a free consultation.
What to Do After a Slip and Fall at Target: 7 Steps
1. Get medical attention
Your health comes first. Ask for emergency assistance if you are seriously injured or cannot safely get up.
Tell your medical provider how you fell, where you hurt, and whether you struck your head. Follow the provider’s treatment recommendations and keep records of appointments, prescriptions, and restrictions.
Medical records also help document when your symptoms began and how the injury affects you.
2. Report the fall to a Target manager
Report the accident as soon as you can. Ask the manager to document it in an incident report.
Provide accurate details:
- The store address.
- The date and approximate time.
- The aisle, entrance, checkout area, or other location.
- What you observed before and after the fall.
- Your symptoms and any witnesses.
Ask for a copy or a report reference number. If the store will not provide one, write down whom you spoke with and when. Describe what you know; do not guess about what caused the fall.
3. Photograph the hazard and surrounding area
If you can do so safely, take photographs before the condition changes. Otherwise, ask someone with you to help.
Useful photographs may show:
- Liquid, food, or other material on the floor.
- A curled mat, damaged flooring, or merchandise in the walkway.
- Nearby warning signs—or the absence of signs.
- The surrounding aisle and visibility of the hazard.
- Your shoes and visible injuries.
Take both close-up photographs and wider views showing the location. Preserve the original files.
4. Collect witness information
Ask witnesses for their names and contact information. Someone may have seen the fall, noticed the hazard earlier, or heard an employee discuss it.
Write down what witnesses said while you remember it clearly. Do not coach them or ask them to speculate.
5. Request preservation of surveillance footage
Ask Target to preserve video showing the area before, during, and after your fall. Earlier footage may help establish how the hazard developed and whether employees had an opportunity to discover it.
A lawyer can send a preservation notice identifying potentially relevant evidence, including:
- Surveillance recordings.
- Inspection and cleaning records.
- Incident reports and photographs.
- Maintenance records.
- Employee communications about the condition.
A preservation request does not guarantee that footage exists or that the store will immediately provide it. Act promptly because records may be overwritten or lost.
6. Keep evidence of your injuries and financial losses
Save your shoes and clothing in their existing condition when practical. Keep receipts, digital purchase records, and other materials that help establish your visit.
Create a folder containing:
- Medical bills and treatment records.
- Prescription and medical-equipment receipts.
- Documentation of missed work and lost pay.
- Transportation expenses for treatment.
- Correspondence with the store or claims representative.
- Notes about pain, mobility, and activities you cannot perform.
Describe your limitations honestly and specifically.
7. Review your options before signing a settlement release
A claims representative may contact you after the accident. Before giving a recorded statement, signing broad medical authorizations, or accepting a settlement, understand what is being requested.
A settlement release can prevent you from seeking additional compensation later—even if your injury requires more treatment than expected.
Learn more about when to hire a lawyer after a Missouri slip and fall.
Can I Sue Target for a Slip and Fall in Missouri?
You may be able to sue if negligence caused your fall and resulting injuries. Falling inside a Target store does not automatically establish liability.
A Missouri retail store premises liability claim generally requires evidence that:
- A condition created an unreasonable risk of harm.
- The store knew, or through reasonable care should have known, about the condition.
- The store failed to take reasonable steps to address the danger or warn customers.
- The condition caused your injuries and losses.
The store’s opportunity to discover the hazard and whether customers could reasonably recognize it can also matter. Missouri courts evaluate these claims under premises liability principles.
For example, a spill that appeared moments before a fall raises different questions from a leaking fixture that employees had already been told about. Evidence of timing, inspections, and employee knowledge can be critical.
What Conditions Can Lead to a Target Injury Claim?
Conditions worth investigating include:
- Spilled beverages or cleaning liquids.
- Wet entrances.
- Loose or curled floor mats.
- Broken or uneven flooring.
- Merchandise or packaging left in walkways.
- Leaking refrigeration equipment.
- Poorly lit walking areas.
These are examples of potential hazards, not claims that a particular Target store had them. Whether a condition supports a claim depends on the evidence and circumstances.
Who May Be Responsible for My Fall?
The investigation should identify who controlled the area and who created or failed to address the hazard. Depending on the facts, potentially responsible parties could include the store operator, a property owner, or a cleaning or maintenance contractor.
Do not assume that the name on the storefront identifies every appropriate defendant.
What Compensation Can I Seek?
Depending on your injuries and the available evidence, a claim may seek compensation for:
- Medical expenses: Emergency care, appointments, surgery, rehabilitation, and medication.
- Future treatment: Care reasonably supported by medical evidence.
- Lost income: Earnings lost while you could not work.
- Reduced earning ability: Lasting effects on your ability to earn a living.
- Pain and suffering: Physical pain and the effects of the injury on daily life.
- Permanent impairment: Lasting limitations or disability.
There is no reliable settlement amount that applies to every Target fall. An estimate should account for your documented losses, expected recovery, and the strength of the liability evidence.
How Long Do I Have to File a Missouri Slip-and-Fall Lawsuit?
Most ordinary Missouri slip-and-fall personal injury lawsuits are subject to a five-year statute of limitations under Missouri Revised Statutes § 516.120. Exceptions can affect the deadline, so have an attorney confirm the date that applies to your circumstances.
Reporting the incident to the store is different from filing a lawsuit. Do not assume an incident report or settlement negotiations protect your filing deadline.
Evidence collection should begin much sooner. Video, witness recollections, and the condition of the premises may change long before the lawsuit deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Target automatically pay medical bills after a fall?
No. An incident report does not establish responsibility or guarantee payment. Whether you can recover medical expenses depends on liability, the connection between the fall and your injuries, and other claim-specific facts.
Can I bring a claim if I did not buy anything?
A purchase receipt is useful evidence of your visit, but the absence of a purchase does not by itself defeat a shopper’s claim. Other evidence may establish why you were there and what happened.
What if I left without reporting the accident?
Report it as soon as possible and explain when and where it happened. Preserve any photographs, messages, witness information, and medical records. A delayed report can make investigation harder, but it does not automatically resolve whether you have a claim.
What if there was a wet-floor sign?
A sign can affect the liability analysis, but its presence alone does not answer every question. Its placement, visibility, and relationship to the hazard matter.
Can I get Target’s security footage?
You can request that relevant footage be preserved and ask for a copy. The store may not voluntarily release it. An attorney can evaluate available procedures for obtaining evidence.
Should I accept the first settlement offer?
Evaluate the offer against your medical needs, lost income, and other supported losses. Understand the release before signing, particularly if your prognosis or future treatment remains uncertain.
Do I need a lawyer for a Target slip-and-fall claim?
You are not required to hire a lawyer. Legal help can be especially useful when injuries are serious, responsibility is disputed, evidence is difficult to obtain, or an offer does not account for documented losses.
Hurt at Target? Contact Sansone & Lauber
Call Sansone & Lauber at 314-863-0500 for a free consultation about your Missouri Target slip and fall injury. The firm handles slip-and-fall cases for injured people in St. Louis and throughout Missouri.
Discuss what caused your fall, which evidence needs to be preserved, and how your injuries affect your claim. Have the store location, accident date, photographs, and available medical information ready.
Get answers before signing a release. Contact Sansone & Lauber’s slip and fall attorneys to discuss your next steps.
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