When it comes to Halloween injuries, you probably think more about costumes, being out in the dark, drunk drivers, and kids running out into the street when you’re trying to make it home from a party safely, but don’t think about Arizona haunted houses and premises liability. The fact of the matter is that most of us don’t think about premises liability in general because we expect the businesses that frequent, or visit even one time, to be safe. We don’t expect to slip on floors, fall downstairs, or otherwise sustain injury while in any place of business.
And when Halloween comes around, you visit haunted houses to get scared by fake boogie men, not by a risk of serious injury. There’s always a risk of being injured in a haunted house, and it’s important to know how to protect yourself when you’re out having a good time so your good time can come with a good scare and without a bad injury.
Ways You Might Sustain a Haunted House Injury
Believe it or not, there are plenty of different ways that you might sustain a haunted house injury when you’re just out for a good scare. Knowing what you’re up against before you walk into a haunted house is important because it can help you to better protect yourself and keep your scare from becoming a living nightmare.
Your own reaction to a scare. Let’s face it: we’re not all as tough as we pretend to be. We all stand in the line at the haunted houses saying that we’re not afraid of ghosts or things that go bump in the night. But when you’re inside, everything changes because you’re no longer in control. When you have an oversized reaction to a scare you may run and bump into a wall, run down a hall that quickly becomes a staircase, trip and fall, or cause yourself harm in other ways. It’s important to decide ahead of time just how scared you want to be and whether you’re willing to take the risk if you can’t “keep it together”.
Another patron’s reaction to a scare. When you go into a haunted house, you’re not the only person in there. In fact, there may be hundreds, if not thousands, depending on the size of the facility, of other patrons “getting their scare on”. If another patron has an oversized reaction to a scary guy in a costume or something that pops out of the wall, they could run right into you on their way towards the exit, knocking you down. If you’re already on a staircase and a scared patron comes barrelling down the stairs, you could be pushed down the stairs. Be aware of the reactions of others around you to keep yourself out of harm’s way.
Hazards created intentionally or unintentionally in the construction of the haunted house. Haunted houses are often created with loose railings, rickety staircases, jammed doors, uneven floors, and other “tricks” to keep you emotionally off-balance. It’s part of the fun and sets the scene for you to be even more scared when you encounter a ghost or a guy with a chainsaw. But sometimes, if these “tricks” are actually loose floorboards or railings, and not just a pretend hazard, they can create a serious problem for well-meaning haunted house owners and for patrons who are intending to get scared and not injured. Haunted houses are already high on energy and emotion, and grabbing a loose railing for stability when your heart is pounding already could lead to serious consequences.
Staff who “take things too far”. People who work in haunted houses have a special gift for being scary; they even have to audition for their jobs in most cases. And they’re the bread and butter of what makes a haunted house so scary that people continuously come back for more. But even staff can sometimes take things too far. If you’re in a haunted house that doesn’t allow touching but a staff person grabs you or repeatedly touches you, or even follows you too closely or too often and you’re unable to keep an even footing you could get seriously hurt.
Does Haunted House Premises Liability Apply to Me?
If you’re injured when you’ve paid to be spooked you probably want to know who can be blamed and whether Arizona haunted house premises liability applies to you and your injuries. Determining whether or not the haunted house is to blame for what happened to you is a tricky task and before making any deals or working with the owners of the haunted house you should consider reaching out to a skilled premises liability attorney. In many cases it can be difficult to recover damages if you were injured while in a haunted house, especially if your injuries were a direct cause of your own reaction or another patron’s reaction to being frightened. Many courts have found that “you get what you pay for.” But what about when your injuries are caused by the inappropriate actions (grabbing when not allowed, etc.) of staff of the haunted house or when there is a true safety hazard? Our attorneys work hard to help you to understand your rights and obligations throughout your case, and we work hard to determine whether what happened to you was part of what you paid for or if it was an unnecessary and unwarranted hazard. If you were placed in harm’s way due to the inappropriate and negligent actions of the haunted house, the owners may be liable for what happened to you. The best way to find out whether or not you can recover damages for injuries you sustained while in a haunted house is to reach out to a skilled personal injury attorney with premises liability experience.
How Can an Attorney Help with My Haunted House Injury Case?
When you need to bring a premises liability case, you may feel that you’re not being heard by the owner of the haunted house. After all, they’ll want you to understand that you paid for the experience and will probably try to convince you that you assumed all of the risk when you entered the haunted house. But working with a skilled personal injury attorney can help ensure that you are treated fairly and that your voice is heard. While you do assume some risk when you enter a haunted house, the owners of these haunted houses are still required to follow premises liability law. Hidden staircases, broken or loose railings, broken floorboards, loose nails or nails that stick out, hidden trap doors that may open when leaned against, and other hazards hidden in the dark of the haunted house that a patron cannot be aware of using “ordinary care” for their own protection are certainly to be considered in a legal case. Your personal injury attorney will investigate what happened in your case and determine whether the actions or negligence of the owners or staff of the haunted house resulted in your injuries. We will examine the record for other like cases, talk to witnesses, and build a strong case that we will use to negotiate with the owners of the haunted house. We will do whatever it takes to ensure a fair outcome for all parties involved.
What Compensation Can I Expect From My Case?
Every premises liability case is different and that means that the outcome will be different for you than it was for someone else. When you work with a skilled premises liability attorney you will better understand your own case and the amount and types of compensation for which you may be eligible. Victims who win their cases often see compensation covering medical expenses, time away from work for healing and lost wages, personal pain and suffering, and more.
The Legal Team That Puts You First
Dealing with the aftermath of a haunted house injury is no laughing matter and the injury takes all of the fun out of the holiday, but leaves you with a new kind of fear. The Husband and Wife Law Team puts your needs first and works hard to make certain that we build a strong case that will get you fair compensation for your injuries, your pain and suffering, and other damages resulting from the accident at the haunted house. We do whatever it takes to collect the right evidence, to negotiate hard on your behalf, and to help you get the help you need so you can move on with your life, away from the real scares and back to the ones that give you joy. If you’re ready to put your life back together and put the scariest moments behind you after an accident at a haunted house it’s time to reach out for help. All you have to do is make one phone call to the attorneys at the Breyer Law Offices, P.C.