Premises Liability Issues on a College Campus
Posted November 7th, 2018 by Anthony Carbone, PC.
Categories: Premises Liability.
Going to college is hard enough as it is, but what happens if (and when) you get injured on campus? Unfortunately, injuries on college campuses are a major issue for students and faculty. Many campuses, especially here in New Jersey, are older and not very well maintained. Those issues can cause injuries which are considered premises liability.
What Is Premises Liability?
When an accident occurs because of a safety issue on another person’s or party’s property – whether it’s falling on a faulty staircase, slipping in an icy parking lot, or tripping on an uneven sidewalk – the responsibility may fall on the property owner. When this happens, you can file a personal injury claim against the property owner to recover certain expenses, like medical bills and time missed for work. This is called premises liability.
If these incidents occur on a college campus, the party responsible for your injuries is the university in most cases. However, it needs to be proven that the university was negligent in their actions. That means college and university officials should have been aware of the dangerous situation(s) that may cause or have caused an injury to occur.
According to a report, the judicial system tends to treat colleges as businesses when issues of premises liability arise. The report states that “colleges have a duty of due care in premises maintenance… because colleges are landowners, courts have established a duty of care obliging them to keep their campuses reasonably safe for persons deemed invitees.”
Common Incidents That May Occur
When it comes to premises liability, there are plenty of different incidents that can occur. The most common incident is slip and fall accidents, especially on college campuses. Many colleges in the Northeastern U.S. are in session during the coldest months of the year. Because of that, university walkways and sidewalks tend to be slippery because of the weather conditions.
Parking lots are also an area where a lot of premises liability issues take place. When it comes to slipping and falling, parking lots can be icy or slick. This could have adverse effects of anyone who passes through, either walking or driving. Other premises liability incidents that occur on college campus parking lots may occur due to poor lighting, lack of proper signage, and poor maintenance.
What Should You Do?
If you are the victim of an injury due to the negligence of a college campus and their personnel, there are some things you need to do. First things first, you should contact university police or regular law enforcement after the incident. You should also consider contacting the appropriate university officials so an investigation into the incident can begin.
When premises liability incidents occur on a college campus, higher-ups within the college may try to pay off the victims before any legal action takes. You should not accept money from a university without first speaking to an experienced premises liability attorney, like Anthony Carbone. If you did accept money in this kind of situation, you may be forfeiting your right to any compensation you could receive down the line. And finally, you should…
Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone
Our law offices have years of experience handling different types of premises liability cases throughout New Jersey, especially incidents that occur on college campuses. If you are the victim of college campus’ negligence, contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone today. We will get you the compensation you need. The consultation is free.
