Maison Law represents and wins support for students hurt in accidents that occur at California college campuses like CSU Northridge. Our personal injury lawyers demand compensation for injured students when universities are negligent in keeping them safe from harm.
We provide a free, no-obligation consultation for all victims and their families. Contact us to set up a confidential case review. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out what your injury should be worth before a university tells you it’s worth nothing at all.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Suffering an Accident at Cal State Northridge?
If you suffer a serious injury on or around campus, and someone else contributed to your accident, such as another student or a CSU employee, you should take advantage of a free consultation with a skilled California College Premises Liability Lawyer. You should know what your case is worth before college representatives try to convince you it’s worth very little or nothing at all.
When medical bills rise, colleges and their liability insurance providers will fight harder against accepting fault. The California State University system can also afford teams of lawyers to manufacture ways to blame you for your accident. They may even resort to finding alternate doctors who will testify that your injuries aren’t all that bad and that you won’t need a lot of money for medical care.
A Maison Law attorney is someone on your side who fully investigates what happened to you and collects powerful evidence to prove the school was at fault. Then, your attorney demands everything you’ll require to make a full recovery. Your final settlement is usually much more than you could win by taking on a giant university system yourself.
Who Can I Sue After an Accident at CSU Northridge?
If you are injured due to a hazard that the university staff and crews should have fixed, removed, or cleaned up, you can file a claim with the California State University system.
Universities are 100% liable for students’ safety in their dorms, in their classrooms, and during school activities and functions. This can include safety while sitting in the bleachers, cheering on the Matadors.
Cal State campuses are public places where people are invited in, and the school system must act to keep them out of harm’s way. That’s according to California premises liability laws.
California Civil Code. 1714:
“(a) Everyone is responsible, not only for the result of his or her willful acts, but also for an injury occasioned to another by his or her want of ordinary care or skill in the management of his or her property or person, except so far as the latter has, willfully or by want of ordinary care, brought the injury upon himself or herself.”
Colleges and universities must constantly monitor every inch of the land and buildings they control for any accident dangers. They must also monitor the organizations, like sororities around their campuses, that they can bear responsibility for.
They are required to remove, repair, or clean up these dangers before someone gets hurt. If a student ends up getting injured, the university can be liable for all hospital bills and other hardships victims are put through.
Filing Accident Claims Against the California State University System
Victims can file personal injury claims against the CSU system after getting hurt by the actions or inaction of the university. The claim would usually be settled through negotiations over what a fair settlement would be. That should be determined by the victim, but insurance companies will attempt to pay as little as possible.
If the university refused to accept full blame or pay what was fair, a lawsuit could be filed, and the university could be taken to court. Usually, this is a last resort, because school systems want to avoid court costs and the bad publicity. A lawyer who represents the threat of a lawsuit can really force liability insurance providers to treat victims fairly.
When filing a claim with a public entity, it’s usually a very good idea to have a skilled lawyer’s help. Public schools enjoy special protections against litigation, and any case filed against a California entity is often complex.
These are just a few of the reasons you should trust your case to a lawyer if you must ask a state agency for support:
- Shorter cut-off for filing an injury claim (just months in some cases). You need to meet these sneaky deadlines, or you could forfeit your right to support.
- Alerting the school to your claim. You must file a notice with the CSU system alerting them to what happened and your legal intentions. You are basically seeking permission to file a claim.
- Complicated paperwork.
- Intense scrutiny from the school system’s legal department.
CSU Northridge accident victims can ask for help with their recovery costs, but the fault of the school must be proven. And even when victims win support, not every student receives the same level of compensation.
It’s often up to an attorney to put pressure on schools to accept responsibility for their negligence. An experienced lawyer will also know what an accident and injury is worth and make sure an insurer doesn’t get away with paying less.
What Type of California Campus Accidents Can I Receive Support For?
A Los Angeles Premises Liability Lawyer can help you file claims over these types of campus accidents and many others:
- Slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall injuries when stepping on hazards in hallways, in campus bathrooms, in parking lots, on crumbling sidewalks, and elsewhere
- Fall injury hazards on stairs, platforms, rotting steps, and unsecured railings.
- Injuries at sporting events, in auditoriums, and at gyms.
- Injuries suffered at sorority or fraternity houses and at Greek events.
- Electrical shock injuries in dorms and classrooms.
- Burns and inhalation injuries due to hazardous substances, like heavy-duty cleaners and chemicals used in labs.
- Injuries that could have been prevented by a better-trained staff.
- Injuries caused or made worse by unqualified faculty or staff who may not have had proper background checks.
- Injuries caused by criminal acts allowed by negligent security. This might involve the college providing poor lighting, broken security cameras, and door locks that don’t work. The negligence may involve a lack of security guards that allows an assault to occur.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Type of Evidence Should I Gather After an Accident at CSU Northridge?
Right after an accident, contact 911 if you are hurt, then, if it’s safe, and you feel strong enough, try to gather evidence at the scene. Take photos of the obstacle that caused you to fall. Alert campus police or a school employee so that an incident report can be filled out. Get contact information from witnesses. Note any security cameras in the area, so your lawyer can request a copy of the footage before it’s erased. When you meet with an attorney, bring this evidence with you. Also, bring any medical invoices you have. Bring your medical charts. If you’ve missed time at your place of work, bring your pay stubs showing what you’ve lost while you haven’t been able to work.
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.
Can parents seek support if a child is killed in a CSU campus accident?
Yes. California encourages families to file wrongful death claims after a tragic death. A Los Angeles 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. Our compassionate attorneys can handle this frustrating process while providing as little disruption to grieving families as possible.
Contact a Cal State Northridge 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 CSU Northridge.
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, a landlord, or an organization responsible for their negligence.
No Worries About Paying a Lawyer. There’s no obligation, but if you feel we can help you more in support, you won’t need any money to hire us. Maison Law doesn’t get paid unless we win your case for you and your family. Then our fee comes out of the settlement that a university is forced to provide.
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