A Florida woman has been awarded nearly $11.4 million in damages after winning a lawsuit against Target Corporation for injuries sustained in one of its parking lots.
According to local outlets WFTV and Orange Observer, the verdict was delivered by an Orange County jury on Friday, October 17. The incident occurred at the Target store located in the Winter Garden Village shopping center on Daniels Road on December 23, 2019, as detailed in court filings.
The woman said that while carrying her daughter through the parking lot amid heavy holiday traffic and puddles, she walked near a landscaping island where the pavement dropped off abruptly at the curb — a design she alleged violated multiple building codes, per WFTV.
She reported stepping onto the uneven surface, twisting her left ankle, and falling. While attempting to regain balance without dropping her child, her leg twisted sharply, resulting in fractures to her right tibia, fibula, and lateral malleolus, according to Orange Observer.
Her attorneys, Morgan & Morgan, stated that she had declined a pre-trial settlement offer of $250,000 before the verdict. The jury ultimately found Target to be 90% at fault for the incident, WFTV reported.
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Target representatives and the woman’s attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In related developments, Target announced on Thursday, October 23, that it will cut 1,800 corporate jobs as part of an effort to counter years of sluggish sales and rebuild its customer base, according to the Associated Press.
A spokesperson said roughly 1,000 employees will receive layoff notices next week, while an additional 800 vacant positions will be eliminated — reducing the company’s corporate workforce by about 8%, per the AP and CNBC News.
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The job cuts follow the earlier announcement that CEO Brian Cornell will step down after 11 years in the role. He is set to be replaced by Michael Fiddelke, Target’s current chief operating officer, on February 1, 2026.
The leadership change comes as the retailer faces declining sales and intensifying competition from Walmart, Amazon, and Costco, reports CNN. According to the AP, Target — which operates 1,980 stores across the U.S. — saw a 21% drop in net income during the quarter ending August 2. Comparable sales have fallen or stagnated in eight of the past ten quarters.
