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Woman settles
for $7 million in Target injury lawsuit
October 6, 2009
An 80-year-old woman has been awarded a $7 million
settlement from Target Corp. and a mechanical door company
after she was knocked to the ground by a faulty automatic
door at a Target store in Rosemont in 2007, the woman's
lawyers said in a statement.
The incident on June 21, 2007, caused Claire Putman brain
injuries and resulted in "cognitive deficits," according
to the statement from the law firm, Corboy & Demetrio.
Putman, whom records list as a Des Plaines resident, had
to move into a nursing home because of her injuries.
According to the statement, Putman was walking into the
Target at 7000 Mannheim Rd. when the door malfunctioned
and knocked her to the floor, causing her to hit her head.
She was then struck by the door again as it continued to
open and close.
Before she was hurt, Putman cared for her 59-year-old
daughter, who has "special needs," Putman's attorney,
Philip Corboy said in the statement.
"As a result of what happened two years ago, Claire has
been robbed of that ability to take care of her oldest
daughter, as well as to enjoy the remaining years of her
life the way she had planned," Corboy said.
Putman's lawyers argued in the lawsuit that Target failed
to inspect and maintain the doors and didn't follow the
safety guidelines provided by the manufacturer, Besam USA,
which also was named as a defendant in the suit.
They also contended that Besam's door didn't provide for a
way to turn off the system's fail-safe system and wasn't
designed to make noise or otherwise alert employees that
the door was malfunctioning.
A message for comment from Target was not immediately
returned. A Besam spokesman declined to comment. |
