The owners and operators of libraries in California are responsible for the safety of visitors to any library. In most cases, a library will be operated by a local government or the State of California. These entities can be sued when someone gets injured due to unsafe conditions.
It’s important to know that suing a government entity is different than filing a personal injury claim against an individual or an insurance company. Government departments often have strong legal protections against lawsuits, and the deadline to file an injury claim can be much shorter.
If you’ve been seriously injured due to the negligence of Library operators and staff, contact a Maison Law attorney and schedule a free case consultation. It’s an easy way to find out what your case may be worth without any obligation.
Injury Hazards at California Libraries
Libraries are meant to be quiet places of study, but with so much foot traffic, they are also places where people can get hurt.
California has plenty of libraries where people can go to research, learn, and check out some great reading. The Los Angeles Public Library has dozens of branches operated by the city, including the main Richard Riordan Central Library location. Fresno County operates the Fresno County Public Library in downtown Fresno. Universities will also have libraries for students and faculty.
These are large, busy facilities. When staff members don’t monitor aisles, shelves, and meeting rooms for hazards that may develop, people can get hurt. Construction crews, librarians, and other guests can create messes or damage that could cause a dangerous fall or a cut for the next person to pass by.
These are just a few of the dangers that can arise during a busy day at your local library branch:
- Slip-And-Fall and Trip-And-Fall Hazards. Liquids left on floors after other visitors spill drinks. Puddles in the bathroom, not cleaned up. Books and boxes left on the tile to cause someone to trip. Potholes and crumbling sidewalks outside the library.
- Stairway, Escalator, Elevator Hazards. Loose railings. Shock hazards. Malfunctions that cause injury.
- Objects Falling from Overhead. Large books. Construction materials.
- Deep Cuts. Wounds from sharp shelf edges or edges under tables. Cuts and physical harm from swinging doors.
- Lapses in Security. Libraries must install proper lighting and security cameras to deter criminal activity. They must hire security personnel to keep parking lots secure. Libraries can be sued for negligent security.
What Should I Do After an Accident at the Library?
Library boards and government operators are liable for the accidents they cause, but it’s necessary to prove that the library owner’s mistake caused the mishap. You’ll want to carry away as much evidence from the scene as possible. Much of that evidence will be cleaned up or repaired right after you leave.
If you were injured, call 911 immediately. The paramedic’s report will serve as evidence of your injury.
You should also take photos of the obstacle that caused your injury and snap pictures of any visible injuries. And always alert a library manager when you get hurt. Managers will be filing an incident report. You should also ask witnesses for contact information.
Once your California Library accident attorney has been made aware of what happened, your lawyer goes to work securing evidence including gathering testimony from witnesses and requesting any surveillance video. Every shred of evidence helps increase the amount you can demand on an injury settlement check.
Who Can I Sue After an Injury at a Library
Libraries must show a legal “duty of care” towards all visitors. They must act to keep guests safe from the time they park and walk in, throughout the building, and back to their vehicles.
Under California Civil Code 1714, property owners and those who are responsible for public services must properly maintain the property in question:
“(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.”
Victims suffering from broken bones, head trauma, and other serious injuries can file injury claims against the following parties and others:
- State Government
- County Government
- City Government
- Universities and Colleges
A university and some local colleges will be operated by the state, and therefore an injury claim over an accident occurring in a campus library would be filed against California. An injury at a library on a private college campus would likely leave victims seeking support from a private owner or organization.
Presidential Libraries such as The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley are museums, archives, and research facilities. The Ronald Reagan Library is overseen by the National Archives and Records Administration, meaning the Federal Government is ultimately responsible for your safety when you visit.
Your Maison Law attorney would be working to identify every party that was liable for your injuries and hardships suffered after an accident. Your lawyer could file multiple injury claims with multiple insurance companies to give you a better chance to secure the money you require to pay every medical invoice.
What Kinds of Things Can Earn Me Injury Support After a Library Accident?
When your case is ready, your Maison Law attorney files it with the liability insurance company and includes a full list of your damages and the potential hardships ahead. It’s critical to get every hardship on this list because anything left off can end up as a debt that you’d be responsible for.
Your lawyer would be seeking compensation for your hospital bills, and also for many other things you may not have known could increase the amount you see on a settlement check.
- Hospital and medical expenses in the present and those expected in the months to come.
- Costs associated with a permanent physical disability such as future medical equipment needs, house upgrades, and training for a new career.
- Physical pain. The devastating effects chronic pain can have on a patient over a lifetime and the cost of pain medication over months and years.
- Emotional Distress. The anxiety and depression that can follow a terrible accident and being unable to enjoy the freedoms the victim once did. Emotional distress may include the trauma experienced by family members as they cope with the loss of certain activities the victim can no longer participate in.
- Paychecks lost while missing work.
- Travel costs. The expense of traveling to numerous doctor’s appointments. The expense of seeing out-of-city or out-of-state specialists.
- Wrongful death benefits. If a loved one is tragically killed due to the negligence of government employees, family members can file a wrongful death claim. They should be asking for help with funeral costs and leftover medical bills. Your Maison Law attorney would also demand support to protect the family financially in the future when they’ll be without the guidance and income the deceased would have provided.
Contact a California Library Accident Lawyer
In most personal injury cases, California victims are given up to two years to file an accident claim. However, when dealing with government agencies, that deadline may only be a few months. As soon as you are feeling well enough, please go over your case with a skilled California attorney.
Contact us today for a free case evaluation to find out how we can assist you. There’s no obligation and your case review is completely confidential.
And if you need our help to secure more, you won’t need any upfront money to hire Maison Law. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the money a government entity is forced to provide to you.
