When someone is injured in an accident on someone else’s property, they can often sue the property owner for injuries. On many Pennsylvania college campuses, the property owned by the school is expansive, covering whole city blocks or most of a small town. Anywhere on this property, injuries due to unsafe conditions, lack of security, or dangerous university-owned vehicles may be the school’s responsibility.
If you or your child was injured on a college campus, talk to an attorney today. The college may be legally responsible for your injuries, and you may be entitled to sue them for damages. For a free consultation on your case, contact the Philadelphia college campus injury lawyers at The Reiff Law Firm today at (215) 709-6940.
Types of Injuries on College Campuses
There are many potential causes of injury on a college campus. The property itself is often a risk on many campuses. College campus are often very large, meaning they often have miles of sidewalks to de-ice, hundreds of handrails to properly secure, many stairwells to light, and other property to keep safe. It is a property owner’s duty to keep the premises free of hidden dangers that could pose a risk to passersby, students, and even employees.
Colleges and universities are also responsible for providing security on their campus. Security personnel, emergency call boxes, proper building access cards, and security checkpoints are all vital to keeping the campus community safe from intruders or dangerous students. If the school fails to provide adequate security, which leads to you being the victim of a crime on campus, they may be liable for their errors.
Additionally, campus vehicles are the school’s responsibility. Campus shuttles, utility vehicles, maintenance trucks, and other vehicles cross through or across campuses each day. If one of these drivers hits a student, another pedestrian, or a biker, they could suffer serious injuries. This may mean hospitalization or even permanent injury, in some cases. This can also be the grounds for a lawsuit.
Suing a College or University for Injuries
The most common type of lawsuit for personal injuries is based in a legal theory called “negligence.” In common terms, negligence is when one party causes another party injury because they failed to use the proper care. More specifically, negligence requires proving four elements:
- Duty – The responsible party owed the victim some legal duty.
- Breath – The responsible party breached that duty by failing to use the proper skill or care.
- Causation – The party’s breach caused the victim harm.
- Damages – The victim suffered harms the court can compensate them for.
In the case of an injury on a college campus, you cannot sue the school unless they owed you a duty. Some examples of a college’s duties are discussed above, including:
- The duty to repair or warn of hidden dangers,
- The duty to provide adequate security, and
- The duty to drive carefully.
Additionally, a university may owe its students other duties, such as:
- The duty to sell food that is safe to eat,
- The duty to provide adequate handicap accessibility,
- The duty to monitor and enforce alcohol policies to prevent injuries,
- The duty to discipline or remove dangerous students from campus, and more.
If any of these duties are breached, students could get sick or hurt. If they do, they may be entitled to sue the school for their injuries.
Compensation for Suing a University for Injuries
If you suffered severe injuries on a college campus, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Especially for severe, permanent, or life-altering injuries, you could be entitled to substantial damages. In cases of personal injury, common damages include compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
The cost of medical treatment can be very expensive. Emergency medical care, imaging, surgery, doctor’s visits, medical transportation, checkups, rehabilitation, and physical therapy may all be covered in a lawsuit against the responsible party. They can be made to pay any medical bills that stem from the accident, in full.
If you had to miss work, you may be entitled to compensation for your lost wages. This may even include part-time jobs or on-campus, student worker positions. If your injuries were severe, lost wages could also include the projected wages you will lose if you can no longer take a future job in your field of study. Talk to a lawyer for help understanding how these costs are calculated.
Lastly, you may be entitled to direct compensation for your pain and suffering. With severe injuries, you may experience substantial pain and considerable mental suffering. If you do, you could be entitled to money specifically for this part of your injuries, on top of the medical expenses.
Philadelphia College and University Injury Lawyers
If you or your child was injured on a college campus, talk to an attorney today. You may be entitled to substantial compensation in a lawsuit against the university for serious injuries caused by the school’s negligence. For a free consultation on your case, contact the Philadelphia college campus injury lawyers at The Reiff Law Firm today. Our number is (215) 709-6940.
