Colorado Personal Injury Blog - Property Owner's Liability (Slip & Fall) - Most Popular

Taco Bell Sued for Slip and Fall

Shannon Weidemann — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:43:54 GMT

A man has sued Taco Bell after he claims he fell on a wet floor at one of their restaurants. The slip and fall lawsuit was filed in January. The incident happened at a Taco Bell in West Virginia in 2006.

Hailey claims he was injured when he fell. According to the lawsuit, Taco Bell should have known of the unsafe condition of the restaurant and prevented the accident.
Hailey claims he suffered severe injuries and seeks damages for pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of ability to enjoy life, and substantial medical expenses.

The man is asking for an unknown amount for compensatory and punitive damages in the lawsuit. The case will be heard in Kanawha County. Taco Bell had no comment on the lawsuit.

If you would like to read more about slip and falls, please visit InjuryBoard's Property Liability information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

CPSC Issues Warning About Falls from Windows

Linda Snyder — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:49:17 GMT

One of the joys of warmer weather after a long winter is the pleasure of opening your windows to let in the fresh spring breezes. But, letting in that fresh air can lead to tragedy in households with small children.

Since April 2008, The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has monitored media reports of at least 18 small children falling through windows including two deaths. Most of these deaths and injuries occured when the child pushed against a window screen or climbed onto furniture next to an open window.

From 2002 to 2004, CPSC has received an average of 25 reports per year of fatalities due to falls from windows. Children under the age of five account for about one-third of these fatalities and more males, across all age groups, account for more deaths than females.

The CPSC offers these tips to keep your children safe from falls from window:

Safeguard your children by using window guards or window stops.

Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of windows. (For windows on the 6th floor and below, install window guards that adults and older children can open easily in case of fire.)
Install window stops so that windows open no more than 4 inches.

Never depend on screens to keep children from falling out of windows.

Whenever possible, open windows from the top -- not the bottom.

Keep furniture away from windows, to discourage children from climbing near windows.

Let’s throw open those windows to get some fresh air, but let’s keep our children safe while we enjoy those spring breezes.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Linda Snyder

Mirror Tossed Out Window Causes Serious Injury

Linda Snyder — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:32:47 GMT

At first glance this seems to be a story of a college prank gone bad. But what if the injuries were more serious? Who's paying for the victim's medical bills? Is he employed and will this accident cause him to miss work?

There have been a lot of jokes circulating about the intelligence of 19-year old Rolf William Johnson. What was he thinking? Obviously, he wasn't. Typical of so many college students (drunk or sober), they have no concept of the consequences of a seemly innocent action. Now, we could argue that this is a freak accident; this is the one-time, foolish action of an immature young man who didn't mean to hurt anyone. Unfortunately, sometimes those are the exact circumstances that can lead to serious injury or even death.

Aside from the criminal charges, what some people might not understand is that Johnson could be held civilly accountable for the medical costs and lost wages that were the result of his reckless and negligent behavior.

And, what about the university? Should they be held accountable? Are the living conditions unsafe, especially if there has been a history of objects being tossed out of windows? Is this a premises liability case? Unfortunately, sometimes it takes someone getting injured or killed and a lawsuit for Corporate America (and in this case, the university, which whether they want to admit it or not, is a big business) to take note and make a change.

I'd say this is definitely the start of seven years bad luck for Rolf William Johnson.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Linda Snyder

Where have all the dogs gone?

Staff Writer — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 14:36:57 GMT

Aurora began enforcing its restricted-breed ban on Wednesday, February 1. While pit-bull-like dogs were the focus of this action, the ban includes other large, potentially aggressive breeds such as Staffordshire terriers and American bulldogs.

With this ban, Aurora joined other cities in Colorado, including Denver and Castle Rock. Other communites are considering either a ban or more restrictive vicious-dog fules to avoid becoming pit-bull havens.

Before the ban was approved, the city had a total of 365 licensed dogs now considered restricted breeds. At the beginning of the month, only 151 had been registered which begged the question: Are people not registering their dogs or did half of those dogs disappear?

For more on this story, see Aurora pit-bull lovers rush

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Denver's cracking down on trashy yards and properties.

Staff Writer — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 20:32:32 GMT

Denver is a beautiful city, but eyesores exist in many neighborhoods. That's where the city's neighborhood inspectors come in. Each year, they scour Denver neighborhoods in an effort to bring problem properties into compliance with the city's codes. Southwest Denver resident Linda Stephens stands by her neighbor's house which has been a twenty-five year struggle for her to deal with.

Click here

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Slip & Fall Lawsuit Filed Against Burger King

Shannon Weidemann — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 15:09:29 GMT

A mother has filed a slip and fall lawsuit on behalf of her underage son against Burger King. The lawsuit alleges that the boy fell in a Chicago area Burger King in 2003. They are asking for $50,000 in damages.

The plaintiffs allege that Burger King carelessly and negligently maintained the play area and "permitted liquids and food to remain on the floor of the premises causing a hazardous condition to their patrons thereon." Furthermore, the restaurant allegedly failed to warn patrons of the hazardous condition within the play area.

Burger King has not commented on the lawsuit. The case may be dismissed because of a two year statute of limitations on personal injury lawsuits. The case has its first court date early next year.

If you would like to read more about slip and fall lawsuits, please visit InjuryBoard's Property Owner's Liability information page.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann

Dangerous Dogs and Dog Owners' Rights

April Armani — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:05:26 GMT

Dangerous dog registries utilized by states to curb incidents of dog bites.

As the news is flooded practically every day with stories of vicious dogs and even more vicious dog bites, states are now taking a stance.

Mug shots, bad behavior and home addresses went public today, listing dogs who have attacked a person or an animal, and that a judge has decided could cause injury again. The Virginia Dog Registry went online this month and is part of a growing effort states have employed to deal with dangerous dogs. One of Virginia's toughest requirements is a policy requiring owners of dangerous dogs to carry $100,000.00 in liability insurance. As an attorney who often sees the devastation families experience due to dog attacks, this law is welcome. While some dog owners may be understandably upset, on average a dozen people die each year from dog attacks. And each year almost 4.7 million people are bitten by dogs and about 800,000, half of these children, seek medical care.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Property Owners' Liablilty.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by April Armani

Premises Liability and Business Owners

Staff Writer — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 08:17:30 GMT

A colleague in Tampa, Bob Carroll, has a good post about premises liability claims. Obviously, laws differ from state to state (and Bob probably doesn't see the slip-on-ice issues we see here in Colorado), but he does a good job summing up some of the resposibilities of business owners to ensure their premises are free of dangerous conditions.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Inmate To Sue Prison For Riot Beating

Staff Writer — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 11:38:59 GMT

Attorneys for Rudy Lujan, an inmate at the Crowley County Correctional Facility, are planning to sue the private company that runs the prison, alleging negligence in preventing a July 2004 riot in which Lujan was left for dead.

Luhan, a former member of a hispanic gang, was beaten severely and also had a microwave oven smashed over his head during the riot.

According to the Rocky Mountain News:

Lujan did not attend a Wednesday press conference at his lawyers' Denver office, and they would not disclose the Colorado town where he currently lives, in part due to fears about further danger he might face from gang members.
Lujan was one of two inmates severely injured in a riot triggered by several grievances, including complaints of bad food and the alleged mistreatment of an inmate by corrections officers, according to a report on the riot.
Approximately 300 inmates ransacked two units and prison offices, ripping apart furniture, smashing doors, windows and control room electronics, and setting dozens of fires.

Besided negligence, Lujan's attorneys also allege indifference and ignoring Lujan's concerns that he faced danger and violence from other gang members.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Relay for Life Sued for Slip and Fall Accident

Shannon Weidemann — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 22:00:20 GMT

The American Cancer Society hosts "Relay for Life" fundraising events around the country. A woman who fell at an event in Madison County has filed a premises liability lawsuit. She is suing the ACS, the city the event was held at, and the school district. She is asking for $50,000 in damages.

She claims the defendants failed to provide proper lighting at the entrance of the ladies washroom, failed to give warning of a step-off near the washroom and failed to provide adequate markings on the step.
Vandalia claims she has incurred pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages and disability.

The plantiff alleges that her arm and eye were hurt in the fall. The case will be heard in Madison County Circuit Court.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Shannon Weidemann