Maison Law represents students injured due to hazardous premises liability on California College Campuses. Premises liabilities may consist of potholes, cracks in the sidewalk, slippery floors, or hazardous property that poses a danger to students and college employees. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury on any college campus in California, you may be asking who is liable?

That’s where Maison Law can help. Our firm will investigate your injury, discover all liable parties, and ensure you receive full compensation for medical bills, missed time at work, and the trauma you’ve been forced to endure. Don’t wait until it’s too late to take legal action.

Call, text, email, or stop by our offices for a free, no-obligation case review to see what legal options are available for your situation.

Do I Need a Lawyer for a College Campus Premises Liability?

If your injuries are minor scrapes and bruises, then you most likely won’t need a lawyer. However, if your injuries caused you to need medical treatment, miss class, or work, then it is recommended to consult with an attorney at Maison Law. Our firm will manage your premises liability injury claim against the college and ensure you are compensated for the following damages:

Economic damages: financial damages you incurred due to the accident.
- Medical bills
- Lost Wages
- Loss of future potential earnings
- Loss of property
- Cost of property repair or replacement
Non-economic damages: these are subjective, non-compensatory damages.
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Loss of consortium
Punitive damages: these are damages awarded to serve as punishment to the at-fault party.
- Reckless behavior (DUI, street racing)
- Actions performed out of spite

When Do I Need a Lawyer for a California College Campus Injury?

We recommend you reach out to a Premises Liability Lawyer at Maison Law if:

There were serious injuries: You will need compensation to cover your current and future medical bills if you’ve suffered serious injuries. Our attorneys can ensure both.
Wrongful death: If a loved one has passed away due to the accident you will need compensation for funeral expenses and damages related to the untimely loss.
Fault: If you are blamed for the accident, but are not at fault, our attorneys can protect you and assign liability to the at-fault parties. Also, our law firm specializes in reducing liability if you are liable to some extent.
Multiple parties involved: Multiple parties make cases complex. Our attorneys will manage your case while protecting your best interests and right to compensation from all liable parties.
False police report: If you’re involved in a car accident on a California college campus, a police report may blame the accident on you. If you disagree, our attorneys will help you gather evidence to support your claim.

What Should I Do After Premises Liability Injury?

If you’re injured in a premises liability accident on campus, you should seek medical attention immediately from your college’s medical department or a nearby treatment center. Seeking medical attention is not only important to your health, but it is an essential step to building a strong case if you elect to take legal action. So, even if you feel you’re not injured, it is important to see a doctor in case your injury becomes worse later. Delaying treatment will only hurt your case.

Following medical treatment, it is recommended to:

Report the injury to the college or police (if applicable). Premises liability accidents on a college campus require a prompt investigation, especially if they occur on property owned by the state or a private enterprise.
Take your own photos of the scene and get witness statements. Hazardous conditions can be removed or remedied very quickly to prevent more accidents, so it is important for you to capture the dangerous environment while it is still there.
Follow up on your injuries with a doctor. Any injuries you’ve sustained from your accident will become a part of your case, and you will need a doctor to corroborate your injuries.
Contact Maison Law to protect your rights to compensation. Most accident victims find themselves overwhelmed by the incident and fail to realize the enormous impact an injury can have on their lives. Our Premises Liability Attorneys can help you understand your legal options and get you the compensation you need to make a full recovery.

What You Will Need When Consulting with a Premises Liability Lawyer for the First Time

The initial process of speaking with our law firm for the first time usually starts off with a questionnaire to assess the merits of the case. This questionnaire will provide us with key information to help determine if a case is worth pursuing or not. However, if you’d like to speak directly to one of our attorneys, you can set up a brief meeting to discuss the details of your situation prior to answering a questionnaire. The following data is what potential clients will need when they first sit down with us:

Employment details: current or former employer, job title, dates of employment, and compensation information.
Nature of the complaint: type of carelessness that led to your injury (premise liability, reckless driving, defective equipment)
Timeline of events: dates of key incidents, formal complaints filed, relevant communications with the employer
Witnesses: names and contact information of potential witnesses to the alleged misconduct
Documentation: list of relevant documents (x-rays, MRIs, doctor’s diagnosis, physical therapy appointments, workers’ compensation forms)
Prior legal action: if you’ve filed previous personal injury claims, then the details of your previous case may be relevant to your new case
Medical information: details about your medical diagnosis and treatment plan
Social media presence: your injury may be documented online, as well as you discussing the details of your personal injury

Types of Premises Liabilities on California College Campuses

All colleges in California have a legal obligation to maintain safe conditions on their campuses. A violation of this legal obligation is considered a premises liability. Examples of a college’s responsibility to prevent hazardous conditions include:

Ensuring walkways, dorms, classrooms, and other facilities are safe and up to code
Addressing hazards such as wet floors, broken stair railings, inadequate lighting, or damages sidewalks to prevent injury
Knowingly install or fail to replace faulty equipment
Hire unqualified employees
Fail to properly train employees about safety protocols
Fail to hire enough staff to supervise the property and customers

Sidewalk Injuries on College Campuses

One of the most common premises liability injuries on a college campus is sidewalk injuries. This is because sidewalks often have uneven surfaces due to cracks, tree roots, debris, or poor maintenance that goes unattended for too long, and puts many students at risk.

Thousands of students rely on a college campus’s sidewalk to get to their classes, dorm rooms, or extra-curricular activities. But when a sidewalk is unsafe, trip-and-fall accidents usually occur, resulting in bruises/cuts, fractures, concussions, sprains, and head trauma. According to Purdue University, the most common injury amongst young, college-age adults is trip-and-falls, with 46% of these injuries occurring while walking.

So, if you’re injured due to a trip-and-fall on a campus sidewalk, be sure to contact us at Maison Law for a free consultation to see if you have a premises liability case.

College Campus Premise Liability: Earthquake Injuries

In California, earthquakes are something that must be accounted for when designing any educational facility in California. If a building on any college campus in California is not structurally sound enough to handle an earthquake and people are injured as a result, then building designers can be held liable for a premises liability under California Health and Safety Code 16600 (a), which states:

“The State Architect and the State Building Standards Commission, in consultation with, and with the concurrence of, the University of California, the California State University, the Structural Engineers Association of California, and the Seismic Safety Commission, shall develop and adopt building seismic retrofit guidelines for state buildings, including those owned by the University of California and by the California State University, by January 1, 1993.”

“Assumption of Risk” Doctrine in Sport/Gym Injuries on College Campuses in California

The “Assumption of Risk” doctrine states that a plaintiff should not be able to recover for injuries when the plaintiff willingly assumed the risk of the activity by participating in it. An example of this would be most sports-related activities, such as soccer, football, basketball, hockey or working out at the gym. Each sport or recreational activity comes with a risk of injury since these are high-impact, contact activities.

So, any willing participant in these sports would not be allowed to sue a university for their injuries under the Assumption of Risk Doctrine. However, there can be exceptions, which we’ll cover in the next section.

Limitations of the Assumption of Risk Doctrine

The Assumption of Risk Doctrine protects individuals, property owners, and business owners from being sued by those engaging in a dangerous activity, but there are limitations to how much protection is offered. For example, let’s say a college student is injured while competing in a flag football league for fun one weekend on the campus lawn. They sprain their ankle on a rock in the grass, which creates an uneven surface. Under the Assumption of Risk Doctrine, they cannot sue the college for damages as they were engaging in a “risky” activity, which involved running at full speed across a lawn. However, certain aspects of the injury may overrule the doctrine and allow them to sue for damages.

What if someone forgot to maintain the lawn that week, or failed to keep it in good condition to prevent injuries, knowing a flag football game was scheduled? These are risks that a person cannot assume, which may allow them to sue the university or a third party for damages even though they engaged in a dangerous activity.

How to File a Claim Against California State University

When you file a claim against the California State University system for a personal injury, you will be attempting to resolve the issue between yourself and the university. To do this, you can fill out this form here. Or, you can submit a written personal injury claim that includes the following:

Your name and address
Address where you’d like to receive notice
Date, location, and circumstances surrounding the incident
A general description of damages caused by the incident
The name or names of the CSU employee (if applicable) or employees that caused the injuries
The dollar amount you are claiming, including estimated amount of prospective loss
If you are claiming more than $10,000 you must state if your lawsuit will be considered a limited case (less than $25,000) or an unlimited case (a demand for more than $25,000).

Your claim will need to be signed by you, or a parent or guardian who can sign on your behalf. The letter must also be filed with CSU Office of Risk Management within six months after the incident or mailed to The CSU Office of the Chancellor Risk Management, 401 Golden Shore 5th Floor, Long Beach, CA, 90802-4210.

Contact a College Premises Liability Injury Lawyer

If you or a loved one has sustained injuries due to a premises liability or a careless act on a college campus in California, Maison Law can help you receive the financial compensation you need to get your life back on track. College is meant to be a time of growth and positive change, not a major setback.

That’s why, at Maison Law, we take the necessary legal action for you to be compensated for all current and future damages you may face after an injury on a college campus. Get your questions answered by contacting Maison Law for a no-cost, confidential consultation and case evaluation.

Additional Resources:

California College Premises Liability Lawyer – When is a Campus Liable?