Long Beach State students hurt on campus can seek compensation for recovery costs from the California State University system.
Maison Law represents injured students and demands compensation for you when universities are negligent in keeping you safe from slip-and-fall obstacles, unsafe stairwells, and other hazards.
We provide a free, no-obligation consultation for all victims and their families. Contact us to set up a confidential case review.
Do I Need a Lawyer If My Child Is Hurt on the Campus of CSU Long Beach?
Consulting with a lawyer is a good idea if your child suffers a serious injury on the campus and Long Beach State’s negligence is to blame. The university system will have teams of lawyers and insurance adjusters all ready to downplay your student’s injuries and even attempt to blame their clumsiness for what happened. They will fight hard to avoid offering support, especially if the medical bills are high.
A skilled California College Premises Liability Lawyer takes immediate action to protect your child’s rights and demands everything they’ll need to pay for the best care available.
These are some of the protections and benefits of having strong legal representation when taking on a giant school system:
- A full investigation into the student’s accident and into the school’s negligent actions.
- All evidence collected and preserved.
- The filing of complicated paperwork when asking a public institution for injury support.
- Staying ahead of all sneaky deadlines for a case against a public entity.
- Filing a claim and handling all communication and negotiations while giving victims a chance to concentrate on getting better.
- Fighting to earn as much as possible for your child. This is often much more than you and your child could earn by filing yourselves.
- A lawsuit readied. Your Maison Law attorney would have a lawsuit ready to file if a university refused to accept 100% blame and liability for your child’s accident.
No worries over the cost to hire a lawyer. Maison Law works on a contingency basis. It means we don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Once a case is successful, we are paid out of the settlement CSU Long Beach is forced to provide.
Who Is Responsible for an Accident on Campus?
California premises liability law holds business owners and the owners and operators of public entities responsible for the safety of all visitors. That would include holding a school system liable for the safety of all students and visitors.
School officials must make sure hazards are monitored at all times. Perhaps it’s exposed wiring in a dorm room. But schools must also monitor for hazards that careless students can create. It may be a spilled drink on a stairwell that threatens to cause another student to slip.
These risks must be identified and repaired or cleaned up in a reasonable amount of time. If college staff delays and someone gets hurt, the school system can be liable for all recovery costs.
These are just a few of the types of accident dangers that California State Universities can be financially accountable for:
- Slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall hazards in hallways, in campus bathrooms, cafeterias, in parking lots, and on crumbling sidewalks.
- Stairwell fall hazards, rotting steps, and unsecured railings.
- Accident hazards at sporting events, in auditoriums, and at gyms.
- Accidents at sorority or fraternity houses and at Greek events.
- Electrical shock risks in dorms and classrooms.
- Exposure to hazardous substances, like chemicals or cleaners.
- Hiring faculty and staff without proper background checks or training to safely oversee students.
- Negligent security, such as poor lighting, locks that don’t work, and a lack of security guards, allowing an assault to occur.
If these or any other accidents happen to you or a child enrolled at CSU Long Beach, be sure to contact a skilled lawyer as soon as possible. Evidence can disappear, and witnesses can be hard to locate after weeks or months have gone by. You can also go past a statute of limitations on your case and end up having your case rejected because you waited too long.
What Should I Do After an Accident on a CSU Campus?
A CSU Long Beach premises liability lawyer will begin a full investigation into the accident right after talking to the victim. However, the evidence students have already collected can be invaluable for their cases.
Often, the most convincing evidence is found on the scene of an accident. If students are hurt, they should first call 911 and ask for an ambulance response.
Then, if they fell up to it, victims should try to collect some details at the scene.
- Report the incident– Notify a school official about the incident as soon as possible. School leaders will hopefully prepare an incident report, which can serve as strong evidence in the case.
- Seek medical attention– Get checked out fully by paramedics and go to the hospital if necessary. If you must leave, have someone with you or a helpful witness collect details on the scene for you.
- Take photos of the scene – Show evidence of the hazard that caused your injury. This obstacle will likely be cleaned up or repaired when your lawyer visits the scene later. Take photos of any visible injuries.
- Get witness contact information– You will turn witness phone numbers and addresses over to your personal injury lawyer so your lawyer can obtain powerful testimony.
- See your family doctor – Go to your own doctor, even if you’ve been to the emergency room. Get any new pain that arises in the days after an incident checked out. Follow your doctor’s recommendations for seeing specialists and attending physical therapy.
- Reach out to an experienced Long Beach Lawyer – You may be made to wait and wait on communication from the school. Or you may hear from lawyers for CSU within days, ready to write you a check. Beware. This is often a tactic used to get you to sign off on a “lowball” settlement offer before you know the full extent of your injuries and future hardships. It’s important to have a legal representative always check over settlement offers. It’s best to let a local attorney handle all communications and negotiations with insurance adjusters and school lawyers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file an accident claim with Long Beach State?
The deadline for filing a personal injury claim with a public entity like California State University can come quickly. Victims will likely only have six months to file a claim. Waiting longer would usually mean victims would lose their chance to receive support.
What if I can’t afford to pay a college accident attorney?
You won’t need any upfront money to hire a skilled lawyer to handle your case while you focus on healing. Maison Law doesn’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement that the school system must pay you.
What types of things are compensated in a premises liability accident settlement?
Students and their parents must seek help with all medical bills. The physical pain and emotional trauma a student is put through must also factor into a settlement check. The student’s lost income while they are away from a Campus job must be reimbursed. The student must receive the university’s help in resetting their college educational track if they must miss weeks or entire semesters of classes. Families who lose a loved one to a tragic accident can also seek support through a wrongful death claim. A California wrongful death lawyer can help loved ones demand justice and receive support for their funeral bills and any remaining hospital invoices. They must also earn support for the loss of companionship they must cope with in the years ahead.
Contact a CSU Long Beach Premises Liability Attorney
Maison Law aggressively protects students and their families after an accident on a state university campus. We want to handle the frustrating negotiations with lawyers working for Long Beach State. Universities are quick to accept tuition checks each year, but they must also be first in line to help students who are injured on campus.
Maison Law offers a free and confidential case consultation to all victims who suffer harm on campus or at a Greek house. Contact us today and let us answer your questions and go over the best options for holding a school or organization responsible for their negligence.
Additional Resources:
