Many people in the District of Columbia attend outdoor parties and events every year. While these may provide an opportunity to socialize and network, people who attend them may want to be careful of potential hazards that might be at the event’s location. Similarly, those who put on events should make certain they correct hazards to reduce the chance a guest will be injured.
One case that illustrates the importance of preventing hazards at outdoor events comes out of New Jersey. In the case, a woman attending a company picnic brought her husband with her. The company had rented a trampoline and bungee-cord device to provide entertainment for the guests. People who used it would get into a harness and hold onto bungee cords while an operator controlled how high they would go.
While at the picnic, the husband tried out the trampoline apparatus. The operator started to lift the man back into the air while he was descending without the man first touching off on the trampoline. This led to the entire weight being placed on the man’s arms, injuring his left one. He suffered from torn ligaments and tendons that required surgery and was left with two large scars. His injuries led to a settlement of $307,500 during mediation of his resulting personal injury lawsuit.
Property owners as well as those who are allowed to use the property to stage events have a responsibility to maintain the premises and to correct any hazards they know or should reasonably know about. When they fail in that duty and their failure results in the injury of a person who is legally allowed to be there, they may be held civilly liable in a resulting premises liability lawsuit. Injured victims may want to meet with a personal injury attorney about their own cases.