Cal Poly SLO students hurt on campus can seek compensation for their medical bills, their physical pain, and other damages. Maison Law of San Luis Obispo represents injured students and demands compensation for victims when universities are negligent in keeping them safe.
The California State University system should be liable for all recovery expenses until victims are fully healed. We can help victims secure complete support no matter where they’re from.
We provide a free, no-obligation consultation for all students and their families. Contact us to set up a confidential case review to find out what an injury should be worth and how to hold universities fully responsible.
Do I Need a Lawyer If I’m Hurt on the Campus of Cal State Poly San Luis Obispo?
If you are seriously hurt in a campus accident, perhaps involving an arm fracture or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and CSU San Luis Obispo is responsible, it’s a good idea to speak to a California college premises liability lawyer. A serious injury will mean skyrocketing medical bills, and that prompts school systems to send teams of lawyers and insurance adjusters after you. Their job is to devalue your case in any way possible.
A skilled attorney fights back when insurers try to blame you for your accident or try to downplay the severity of your injury. We fully investigate what happened to you and back your case with evidence so the facts don’t change. Then we work to secure the most for your injury. That often means we win much more for your recovery than you could by taking on a university yourself.
Who Is Responsible for My Child’s Safety at Cal State Poly San Louis Obispo?
When you send your child to an excellent school like California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, you expect safety to be included in the experience. Unfortunately, large schools have a lot of residents and visitors to watch over each day, and they go to a lot of places where accidents can occur. The risk of accidents only grows when schools become negligent in their duty to stay vigilant and protect students.
California premises liability laws holds school responsible for the care and safety of all students and staff. Unfortunately, busy public places like colleges have a lot of hazards that arise each day. It may be an iced coffee that spills outside of a classroom, leaving a slip-and-fall hazard. It may be trash that lands on a stair step that causes someone to take a tumble.
Schools must monitor for the accident dangers their employees or contractors create. They must monitor for the dangers that students carelessly leave behind for others. These messes and hazards must be repaired or cleaned up before someone gets hurt. If they aren’t and someone goes to the emergency room after an accident, Cal Poly can be liable for the recovery costs.
Common Campus Hazards for Cal Poly SLO Students
Students go rushing around campus to get to class, to grab lunch, and perhaps to get some exercise at the gym. Unfortunately, all of these spots can carry personal injury risks.
Dorm Dangers: One place some students spend the most time, a residence hall, like South Mountain Halls, can be one of the most likely places for an accident. Bathrooms might have soap and water on the floor and become as slippery as skating rinks. Contractors may leave exposed wiring or improperly installed outlets to cause shock injuries. Improperly installed bed frames may cause a frightening collapse in the middle of the night. Broken door locks and security systems can lead to assault risks.
These threats and others can cause serious injuries and health issues, and schools must be held liable. Of course, residence halls are only one part of the indoor and outdoor life on campus. There are plenty of other unsafe areas where students can get hurt.
Maison Law can help families file claims over these and other accident hazards:
- Slip-and-fall and trip-and-fall injuries when stepping on hazards in hallways, in campus bathrooms, in cafeterias, in parking lots with potholes, and elsewhere.
- Fall injury hazards on stairs, like at The Robert E. Kennedy Library.
- Risks on rotting and unsupported decking and platforms.
- Injuries at sporting events for the Mustangs, in unsafe gyms, auditoriums, and other facilities where people gather.
- Injuries suffered on field trips or at off-campus study sites. Injuries sustained on satellite campuses, such as the Maritime Academy on the Solano Campus.
- Drownings, near-drownings, and other accidents at the Recreation Center and at the coastal campus.
- Injuries suffered at sorority or fraternity houses and at Greek events.
- Burns and inhalation injuries due to hazardous substances, like heavy-duty cleaners and chemicals used in labs.
- Accidents caused or made worse by improperly 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. The school may not have provided enough security staff to deter assaults.
Injured students can seek support after an accident, but compensation is not automatic. Cal Poly and its insurance providers will be arguing over who was to blame. They might try to portray victims as clumsy, simply to shed some of the fault.
Only strong evidence and knowledge of California personal injury laws will force the California State University system to accept liability and do the right thing. It’s a good idea to have a skilled attorney at your child’s side during this process.
Sidewalk Accident Risks on Cal Poly Campus
Sidewalks are another high-traffic area of campus that schools must constantly monitor for accident risks.
Trash, landscaping debris, and other risks can create slip-and-fall hazards. Concrete damage caused by construction, by tree roots, or just normal wear and tear from seeing hundreds of feet each day, can lead to cracks and uneven surfaces that can cause a student with a heavy backpack to stumble and take a hard impact.
Campus cyclists are also at risk when walkways aren’t taken care of. A crack or a gap in the sidewalk can stop a bike tire in its tracks, but send the rider over the handlebars for a dangerous tumble.
The Cal State University School System must keep all walkways safe and clear. When they fail in this duty, students who take falls and get injured can file claims and seek help in their recoveries.
Crews must control tree root damage on campus that breaks up sidewalks and creates unlevel segments, leading to fall injuries. A skilled slip-and-fall lawyer can help the victims of sidewalk accidents earn what they require to get back on their feet and get back in class.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file an accident claim with CSU San Luis Obispo?
Personal injury claims filed against a public entity like California State University have a very short statute of limitations. Victims will likely only have six months to file a claim. Waiting longer would usually mean victims would lose their chance to receive support. Claims filed against universities can be extremely complex and require complicated paperwork. A skilled attorney can help you meet all deadlines and satisfy all requirements, so insurance companies have no excuse to reject your claim.
What if I can’t afford to pay a college accident attorney?
College is expensive. Medical care is expensive. Most families and injured students won’t be left with a lot of extra money to hire legal help. The good news is that you won’t need any upfront money to hire a skilled lawyer to handle your case. Our San Luis Obispo Premises Liability Lawyers don’t get paid unless we win your case for you and your family. 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?
Victims must be fully reimbursed for the medical bills they’ve already paid and have the money to pay for any future care they may require. 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. Wrongful Death Support. Parents must also seek support if a tragic accident claims a child’s life on campus. A San Luis Obispo wrongful death lawyer can help families seek justice and support to protect themselves financially after a tragedy.
Contact a CSU San Luis Obispo Premises Liability Attorney
Maison Law gets aggressive with universities to make sure students and their families have what they need after an accident to recover and resume their education journeys. We want to handle the frustrating negotiations with lawyers working for the Cal State system while giving victims all the time they need to focus on getting better.
Maison Law offers a free and confidential case consultation to all victims who suffer harm on campus, at a Greek house, or even off campus. Contact us today and let us answer your questions and go over the best options for holding a school responsible for your pain.
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