News

Woman Settles for $7 Million in Target Injury Lawsuit

October 21, 2009

October 6, 2009 CHICAGO, ILLIONIS – 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 50-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 lawyer 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 systems’ 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.