With the warm weather months upon us, the festival season here in Kentucky is getting ready to kick off. So many people are going to be heading out to music festivals, outdoor concerts, and art exhibitions. There are few better ways to enjoy the great weather we enjoy here. However, with the crowds and attractions, people are going to get injured from slip and fall accidents. Not only will this ruin a perfectly nice day, but it could also lead to pain and suffering for the accident victim who is sure to require medical attention and rehabilitation. If this happens to you, you are going to want to get compensated for your injuries. This is why you will need to retain an experienced personal injury attorney to represent you.
How Do Slip and Fall Accidents Occur at Outdoor Festivals?
Unfortunately, outdoor venues can often be like an obstacle course. There are plenty of tripping hazards. For example, the food concession booths may have wires run for electricity or pipes for water. Even if they put a box over these tripping hazards, these can often become tripping hazards in and of themselves. The same goes for the power cables needed to provide electricity to the stage for the various musical acts.
There are other things that can create risks as well. You may encounter broken pavement in the parking lot. The ground around the stage may be uneven, or there could be mud from recent rainfall. There may be barricades for crowd control that you may miss while walking through the crowd. If the concert you are seeing is at night, this can only exacerbate the problem, since poor lighting will only increase the chance that you may trip over an unseen obstacle in your path. The crowd itself can cause a hazard. If someone accidentally steps on your foot, you may lose your balance, causing you to fall.
What Kind of Injuries May Occur?
Slips and falls could be minor in scope, causing you to simply lose your self-esteem as those around you may find amusement in your mishap. However, some slip and fall injuries can be quite impactful. If you land on your head, you can suffer a concussion or other traumatic brain or head injury requiring immediate medical attention. A fall can also cause spinal injuries that may hurt your motor functions. If this happens, you may be looking at long periods of rehabilitation.
Falls can also cause cuts or lacerations, some of which may require stitches. If you are on a blood thinner, then a cut caused by a fall can present a major medical emergency. You may also suffer a knee or other joint injury that could require surgery, such as a torn ACL. A particularly nasty slip and fall may result in broken or fractured bones. These are not matters to be taken lightly, which is why many outdoor festivals maintain an onsite medical staff and a number of ambulances to ferry injured patrons to the local hospital. Even if you take a great deal of care, you may still trip and fall over an unseen obstacle.
Who Can You Hold Liable for Your Injuries?
Most outdoor festivals and fairs involve a number of different parties working together to present the event. First, there will be an entity that owns the actual site. This may be a private company like a shopping mall or a farmer renting out a portion of his or her land. The site could also be owned municipally, as many towns and cities use local parks and campgrounds to host outdoor events. The property owner could be held liable for not maintaining the grounds in a safe condition. This is why many such owners will maintain insurance to cover slip and fall accidents that occur on their premises.
There also may be an independent company that is putting on the festival. Many of these go around the state or even the country hosting music, arts, or medieval events. It is not uncommon for the property owner to require the event sponsor or promoter to carry their own insurance to cover personal injuries that may occur at the venue.
Some venues contract with independent contractors to provide maintenance, sanitation, and restrooms for events. If this is the case, then these entities may ultimately be responsible for creating the hazardous condition that led to your personal injury. If they didn’t do a good job of maintaining the grounds, leaving the parking lot with ruts and potholes, or the seating area with uneven ground, they could be held liable. Similarly, sanitation and restroom companies can create hazards by not properly disposing of the waste, or leaving wastebaskets and port-a-potties in pathways.
Finally, many outdoor festivals contract with vendors to work the events. These could be concessionaires providing food, merchandise, or other items. If they set up tents and tables in a haphazard manner or run their pipes and wires across pedestrian walkways, they can create dangerous conditions for festivalgoers. Just like the other parties, it is likely that these vendors carry their own liability insurance to cover personal injuries that may occur from their negligence.
What Can You Do if You Are Injured at a Festival?
The first thing you will need to do if you suffer a slip and fall injury at an event is to get immediate medical attention. Most of these festivals feature a first aid stand and ambulances to tend to customers who are injured at the venue. Make sure that you document your medical care.
Once you have gotten tended to, you will need to write down the relevant facts about your accident. This will include the location of the slip and fall at the festival, such as whether it occurred near the vendor tables, at the area by the stage, or near the restrooms. This will help you determine the parties that may be held liable for your injury. For example, if your injury occurred near the food concession, the nearest concessionaire may be liable, as well as the venue’s owner and the promoter who presented the festival. You should also find out the identity of the parties responsible for maintaining the venue. If the site is owned by the state or a municipality, there may be a special process you need to file for compensation for your injuries.
Like all personal injuries, it is crucial to keep track of your injuries. This will include not just the cost of medical care, but also any lost wages from missing work, pain and suffering from the injury, and rehabilitation costs. Also, you should find out if the venue maintains cameras filming the area for security. If this is the case, you should find out if there is any video of your slip and fall accident. You can also find out if anyone who was there when you fell filmed the accident on his or her phone
If You Are Injured at a Festival, Call Our Firm Today
Outdoor festivals can be a great way to enjoy a summer evening. However, they are also a place where people get injured from slip and fall accidents. If you have been injured at a festival, call the Dickman Law Office today so that our experienced personal injury attorneys can get you the compensation you need for your injuries.
Posted in: Personal Injury