Injured from a Chair Collapsing at a Funeral Home – Can I Sue?
Death is an inevitable conclusion in everyone’s life, and each of us deals with the grief of losing a loved one in different ways. However, most people want to honor the deceased in a special ceremony, known as a funeral. This is a chance for loved ones to express not only their grief, but their love and cherished memories of the person that is permanently gone from their lives. In many cases, a funeral can actually provide healing to family members, as it’s an opportunity to see how the decedent was loved and respected by others.
A funeral home or mortuary is a place that provides funeral services for grieving loved ones. From religious ceremonies to cremations, funeral homes plan every aspect of the event so that loved ones can focus on working through their grief. This includes laying out the body and providing seats for the guests. Unfortunately, funeral homes can sometimes be negligent in their duty of care, like making sure that the chairs are in good shape, without mechanical or design flaws that can cause them to collapse.
Were you injured during a funeral service due to a chair that was poorly designed or inadequately repaired? Maybe there were other conditions that caused the chair to collapse, like being placed on an uneven surface or not having protective rubber grips on the legs. These are examples of negligence by a funeral home owner, which can form the basis for a personal injury claim. To see if you are eligible for monetary compensation from a broken chair injury lawsuit, please contact our office.
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A lot of people want to brush off an accident and go on about their day. If they’re at a solemn occasion, like a funeral, they are especially hesitant to draw attention to themselves, even if they are in pain.
However, it’s important to notify staff members right away and ensure that your accident is documented. Then, make sure to see a doctor right away, who can diagnose your injury and provide you with proper treatment. Falling down from a broken chair can cause a variety of serious health issues, including:
- Tailbone fracture
- Cuts and puncture wounds
- Traumatic brain injury
- Tendon and ligament tears
- Broken nose (and other facial bones)
- Herniated disc
- Neck / spinal cord damage
- Joint dislocation
- Broken hip or pelvis
- Nerve damage / loss of function
Keep in mind that these conditions can last for months or years, and some people end up with permanent complications due to the severity of their injuries. That’s why it’s essential to seek monetary damages from the funeral home if their negligence caused you to have a collapsing chair accident. For legal advice from an experienced accident injury attorney, contact our law firm.
Can I Sue the Funeral Home for a Collapsed Chair Injury?In order to file a personal injury lawsuit, you must determine who is liable, or legally responsible for your accident. If, for example, you were injured in a chair you had purchased, a possible culprit is the product manufacturer. However, the situation is different when you are injured in a funeral home, where pieces of furniture are provided by the business owner as part of the funeral services.
Under the law of premises liability, property owners have a legal obligation to prevent injuries on their premises. Of course, they can’t predict when an accident will happen, and they are not necessarily responsible for every incident that results in bodily harm. However, they are responsible for taking reasonable care of the property, like clearing snow and ice, fixing leaks, and ensuring that items like chairs are structurally sound.
The degree of responsibility is even higher for commercial property owners, as they are directly profiting from the people on their premises. In addition, a business facility is likely to have many people on the property at the same time, which increases the potential for an accident. This is particularly relevant with chairs at a funeral home, which are used frequently by people of all shapes and sizes. The wear and tear on these items is considerable, and funeral home owners have a duty to replace the chairs as needed and ensure that they are in good shape prior to using them for a burial, memorial service, etc.
As someone that was injured from a collapsed chair at a funeral home, you may have the right to file a premises liability claim and receive monetary damages from the business owner. However, most injury victims have limited knowledge of the laws and the justice system, which is why legal representation is highly recommended. Our legal team is ready to advise you of your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Potential Value of a Broken Chair Injury ClaimThere are many factors to consider when we are evaluating the potential value of a chair collapse accident claim. Certainly, we have to think about your injuries and the impact they will have on your health and finances. We also have to consider the trauma associated with your accident, and whether you are dealing with psychological damage, like sleep disorders, phobias, and depression. These and many other elements will help us decide the amount that’s appropriate to ask for when you are suing a funeral home.
At the end of the day, case values are unique to each and every victim. Settlements at our law firm range from $15,000 to $2,500,000 on average, with some cases exceeding the $5,000,000 mark. Where you fall within this range is something we will need to figure out together, so contact us right away to schedule a free case review.
Length of Time to Settle an Accident Case against a Funeral HomeSettling an accident claim doesn’t happen overnight, though it’s likely that you will receive a settlement offer from the funeral home’s insurance company within a matter of days. However, it’s important that you don’t jump on the first offer of payment. After all, the insurance company’s priority is to resolve your case for the lowest possible amount. And you have every right to refuse the offer and negotiate for an amount that covers all your available damages, like current and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and damage to your personal belongings.
Our job is to fight for the payment you deserve, but the question is, how long will this take? Sometimes, a mutual agreement between the injury victim and the negligent party may happen within a matter of weeks. But the case resolution process is usually longer – at least 6 months when the accident occurs on a commercial property. Depending on the extent of your injuries, it may take 1 or more years to reach a settlement. Though it’s highly unlikely that your case will go to trial, if that becomes a necessary step, receiving compensation through a jury verdict can take up to several years.
As a general rule, the time limit to file a personal injury lawsuit is 2 years from the incident, i.e., accident date. There are situations where extra time is allowed by the courts, but this is based on circumstances that will not apply to most claimants. That’s why starting the legal process right away is in your best interest, which we can help you with here at DTLA Law Group. Our lawyers are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so call us anytime for assistance if you are injured from a collapsed chair at a funeral home.
Schedule a Free Case EvaluationAdvice from an experienced attorney is crucial if negligence by a business owner caused you harm and suffering. Unfortunately, many people are under the assumption that hiring an attorney is impossible, especially when they are dealing with medical bills and other monetary losses following an accident.
Our law firm would like to offer you a Zero Fee Guarantee, where all legal fees are charged to the funeral home and recovered at the end of your case. That means you can hire a funeral home collapsed chair attorney without paying a single penny upfront. Since our payment is contingent on bringing you compensation from a successful lawsuit, you won’t have to worry about any legal fees if we don’t win your case.
Don’t hesitate to contact us right away and ask to speak to a lawyer with experience in funeral home negligence cases. We also have legal experts who can offer you a free second opinion if you have a pending claim that you would like to discuss with another attorney. All you have to do is reach out to us at your earliest convenience and schedule a time to learn about your rights and legal options.
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