UC Irvine (UCI) Premises Liability Lawyer – Filing Injury Claims

Maison Law represents injured premises liability victims in UC Irvine (UCI). A premises liability is a hazard on a college campus property that causes someone to get injured. This could be in the form of a slippery floor, uneven surface, unsafe equipment, or debris left out where people commonly walk. There are a number of ways a premises liability can occur, but the bottom line is that UC Irvine is required by law to ensure your safety while you are on their property.

So, if you or a loved one has suffered a premises liability injury at UC Irvine, then Maison Law can help you recover financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and emotional damage. Your college experience shouldn’t be defined by an injury. Get the legal help you need and contact Maison Law today for a no-fee, no-obligation consultation.

Do I Need a Lawyer for a Premises Liability Injury?

Yes, it is recommended to consult with an attorney after suffering a premises liability injury, especially if it occurs on a UC Irvine Campus. UC Irvine has insurance for these types of situations, but if their insurance does not fully cover your damages or disputes your claim, that’s where having the Premises Liability Attorneys at Maison Law on your side can help.

Unfortunately, insurance companies do not place much value on your missed time at college, or at work, or the emotional trauma involved with being injured and recovering. At Maison Law, we make sure students injured due to a premises liability receive full compensation for the following damages:

• Special Damages: medical bills, ongoing treatment, costs that accumulate when you’re unable to work, like rent or mortgage payments
• General Damages: these are non-economic hardships like pain and suffering, anxiety, depression, mental trauma
• Wrongful Death Damages: these damages may be sought by a spouse or close relative for funeral arrangements, burial expenses, and medical treatment before a loved one’s death
• Punitive Damages: these damages are rare, but if someone at the university engaged in reckless behavior or had the intention of hurting you, then you could sue for punitive damages

How to Submit a Claim at UC Irvine

UC Irvine defines a claim as an incident that results in bodily injury or property damage. According to their website, they maintain self-insurance to provide coverage for the following incidents:

• Property loss or damage
• Bodily injury
• Travel injuries
• Workers’ compensation injuries

To submit a claim directly to the university, you must:

• Complete the Property Loss Claim Form to report property damage and personal injury, or both, unless the injury occurred in a vehicle accident on campus
• Submit the completed form to Risk Service’s ServiceNow General Request, where you will attach all related documents, such as photos and police reports

Following these steps will be helpful for your case if you decide to take legal action. Submitting a claim simply creates a record of an injury incident and shows you tried to take the necessary steps to resolve it. If the result is unsatisfactory, then we can help. Feel free to reach out to us at Maison Law with all your questions, and we’ll help you understand your legal options.

What You Will Need When Consulting with Our Lawyers 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

Some of these elements may seem irrelevant to your case, but trust us, they are not. Most defense lawyers will use anything they can to diminish the damage done to your life after a motorcycle accident. For example, if your social media account has videos of you constantly getting injured, or putting yourself in harm’s way, they will most likely attempt to use that against you to say you’re injury-prone, even if you were being safe when the accident occurred.

Example of College Campus Premises Liability

In the event you’re injured on the UC Irvine campus, the university could face liability for causing your injuries. Situations where the university could be found liable for your injuries include:

• Poor maintenance: this could mean worn-down stairs or walkways are easily collapsible, or the flat surfaces have deteriorated, forming hazards where people typically walk.
• Inadequate lighting: if areas of the campus are open at night and poor lighting causes a student to get injured, then the University could be held liable.
• Defective equipment: if the school offers gym equipment, bike rentals, or safety gear and their deficiencies result in an injury, then the university could be held liable.
• Not posting visible warning signs: warning signs alerting students to hazards must be properly lit and visible to everyone on campus.

What to Do Immediately After a Premises Liability Injury at UC Irvine

The steps you take after suffering an injury on the UC Irvine campus will be important to ensuring your safety, as well as protecting your right to compensation if you decide to take legal action. At Maison Law, we recommend doing the following:

• Call the local or campus police: The police will file an accident report and take down the names of everyone involved (if applicable), as well as assign fault based on the evidence in front of them if multiple parties are involved. A police report will serve as evidence if you need to back up your claims later, and it may also prevent further injuries to others on campus by addressing the issue.
• Document the incident: Take photos or film the aftermath of the incident. Film yourself recounting the details of the incident and describing the pain you’re in. It is best to capture how the accident played out while the memory is still fresh in your mind.
• Gather witness statements and driver information: Film or record witnesses willing to give a statement about the accident. Take down their names and phone numbers. Take down the contact information.
• Do NOT admit fault: Don’t admit fault even if you feel you may have caused the accident. Allow the police or the university to conduct their investigation and determine what happened.
• Get Medical Attention: Even if you feel fine, it is important to get checked out by a doctor or go to a hospital. Certain injuries can lie dormant and manifest themselves hours or even days later.
• Contact Maison Law: after suffering a personal injury on a college campus, it is important to speak to one of our attorneys as soon as possible. We will make you aware of your rights, connect you to immediate medical resources, and manage your claim, so you can focus on more important matters like healing from your injuries and notifying your family.

Statute of Limitations for Students Injured at UC Irvine

If you’re injured while attending college at UC Irvine, your case will fall under personal injury law. So, much like all personal injury cases, the victim of the injury has two years from the date of the incident to file a personal injury claim. The two-year statute of limitation is covered in California Civil Code 335.1, which states:

“Within two years: An action for assault, battery, or injury to, or for the death of, an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another.”

If the victim was a minor, the statute of limitations will be withheld until the minor turns 18. Once the child turns 18, the two-year statute of limitations will start. However, it is important to know that the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit against the government is only six months. There are other differences when filing a lawsuit against the government, which we’ll go over in the next section.

Suing a Public University

Filing a lawsuit against a public college like UC Irvine is more complicated than suing a company or individual because public universities are considered government entities. However, it is not impossible to sue a public college for compensation. If you would like to file a claim against a public college, your first steps should be to file a notice of your claim with UC Irvine, as shown in the above sections. You will then wait for the university to complete an investigation of the incident.

To file a claim against California state agencies or employees, you will need to go to the California Department of General Services, Office of Risk Management. This site allows for any person to file a government claim to receive compensation for damages caused by the state of California.

If the agency you are suing does not have a claim form, you still have options. Under these circumstances, you can draft your claim. Your written personal injury claim must include 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 of the employee (if applicable) or agency that caused the injuries
• The dollar amount you are claiming
• If you are claiming more than $10,000 you must state if your lawsuit will be considered a limited case (less than $35,000) or an unlimited case (a demand for more than $35,000).

Contact a UC Irvine Premises Liability Lawyer

If you or a loved one has sustained injuries due to a premises liability or a careless act on the UC Irvine campus, Maison Law is here to help you recover compensation for the damage done to your life. We understand that college is meant to be a time of growth and positive change, so when a major setback occurs, we exercise every legal avenue to get your life back on track.

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 accident on a college campus. Don’t wait until it’s too late to take legal action for your premises liability injury. Contact Maison Law today for a no-cost, confidential consultation and case evaluation.