We go to the movies to grab some snacks, sit in a comfortable chair, and hopefully be entertained for a couple of hours. When the movie ends, we take it for granted that we can get up, hop in our cars, and drive home.
That’s the way it should go. But when California movie theater owners and operators start getting careless with the upkeep of their lobbies and theaters, the safety of their ticket-buyers is threatened.
Butter from popcorn could land on the floor, or the bathroom tile may be wet to cause a serious movie theater slip-and-fall injury. After you’ve taken a painful fall, it’s critical that you receive the best medical attention available and that you receive complete support in paying for that care.
Contact a California Movie Theater Slip-And-Fall Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Suffering a sudden injury while engaged in a fun activity, like a night at the movies, can leave you in shock, and in agony. It can be hard to think of anything but your pain, but slip-and-fall victims and their families must consider what they’ll do when expensive medical bills come due.
When you or a loved one is hurt due to the negligence of a California theater owner, the local owner or national theater chain must be held accountable. They’ll have liability insurance to help you with the costs of recovery, but they’ll do their best to limit what you receive.
Talk to a California Slip-And-Fall Attorney to find out what your injury support should look like. Maison Law offers all cinema injury victims a free, no-obligation case consultation to discuss their best options for securing support.
California Movie Theater Accident Liability
Businesses in California, like a movie house, owe their customers a “duty of care.” This means owners and operators are required to do more than just count their profits as they sell tickets.
They must monitor their floorspace and grounds for potential hazards that moviegoers create or their own employees cause. These dangers must be cleaned up or repaired in a reasonable amount of time. If they aren’t, and you suffer a movie theater slip-and-fall injury, you should expect compensation.
Under California’s “premises liability” laws, theater chains and local owners can be forced to pay for medical care for victims. They could be on the hook for the victim’s missed time at work. They may also have to provide compensation for the victim’s physical pain and mental trauma experienced.
Unfortunately, compensation is available only if you can prove the theater staff’s negligence caused your accident. Theater owners and their corporate lawyers will fight every step of the way to avoid blame for your fall. However, a skilled California Personal Injury Lawyer works to build a strong case for you, so insurance adjusters can’t reject your call for assistance.
Slip-and-Fall Injury Dangers at a California Movie Theater
Many movie theaters try to represent the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. But sometimes, after a busy day, a multiplex floor may look less than glamorous. There could be a spilled drink and ice left on the already slippery tile. A rug along the dark aisles inside may have been left with a rip in it, ready to catch your foot and send you into a trip-and-fall.
The movie theater chain’s liability even extends into the parking lot, where a pothole left to get bigger and bigger could catch your foot and send you down.
These hazards may seem small and easy to avoid, but that’s only if you see them. You may be in the dark or looking ahead when your shoe lands on a puddle. These carelessly created obstacles do serious harm to people just like you every year.
In a trip-and-fall movie theater accident, victims usually fall forward. This can cause injuries unique to someone exposed to a frontal impact with the floor:
- Hand, wrist, and arm fractures and sprains are common as victims flail forward attempting to catch themselves. Shoulders may also dislocate to cause a painful and recurring health issue.
- Once past the arms, your face is exposed to severe damage. Nasal bones, cheekbones, and bones in the eye sockets are susceptible to breaks.
- Mouth injuries. Teeth can be knocked loose, and jawbones might take damage.
- Knees are also in the target zone as people fall forward. A trip on a damaged sidewalk or the leg of a multiplex seat can cause damage. A kneecap fracture can take people off their feet for months. Ankles are also vulnerable when a foot is held in place, but the body continues in motion.
Victims in theater slip-and-fall accidents often fall sideways or backward. Different injuries are more common in these falls:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) occur as the head strikes the floor or the corner of a theater seat or armrest. TBIs involve a blow to the head that forces the brain to collide with the inner skull. Patients can experience concussions, memory loss, seizures, and a loss of function in limbs.
- Damage to the spinal cord in the neck and back can lead to disability and/or years of pain that will be difficult to relieve.
- Fractures involving the hips can require surgery and result in a reduction in function for quite a while. The inactivity can lead to other health issues as a patient heals.
What to Do After a Slip-And-Fall at a California Movie Theater
After your trip-and-fall accident on the grounds of a California movie theater, you’ll want to collect every bit of evidence you can that shows the negligence of the theater owners and operators. It’s the best way to ensure you can secure a fair and timely injury settlement check.
If you can stand after your accident, try to gather a few important details. If you can’t move or need to leave for the hospital, ask someone with you or a helpful witness to assist you in collecting evidence.
- Call 911 if you require medical attention. Allow paramedics to check out every pain you have and go to the emergency room if necessary.
- Take Pictures. Before it’s cleaned up or removed, use your cellphone to capture images of the hazard that sent you to the ground. Turn on your cellphone’s light for pictures if you’ve fallen in a dark theater. Note if any safety lights or light strips are burnt out. Show any visible injuries.
- Alert a theater manager. They will file an incident report for their owner or corporate office. This report will help prove your case later. Don’t discuss the fault in the accident or how badly you are hurt, because these comments will be twisted to hurt your case later.
- Talk to witnesses. Find out what they saw. They may not have seen you fall, but they could verify that a hazard existed. Write down their contact information to give to your California Slip-And-Fall Lawyer.
- Check in with your doctor. Make an appointment and get all of your injuries examined and charted. Follow your doctor’s instructions exactly. Complete physical therapy and see any specialists your doctor suggests.
- Save all evidence. Save your ticket stub and receipt. Save the shoes you were wearing and don’t wear them again until your attorney says it’s okay. Insurance adjusters may try to claim your shoes were worn out and that’s why you fell.
Contact a California Movie Theater Slip-And-Fall Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one are injured in a fall at a movie theater or in any other sort of accident, speak with a skilled California Slip-And-Fall Lawyer before talking with any insurance representative. Insurance adjusters will not be informing you of every benefit available to you and your family.
Schedule a free case consultation with Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law. It’s a no-risk way to speak with an experienced California attorney. Mr. Gasparian will help you determine what you’ll need in recovery and what your injury is really worth.
