When a slip and fall happens in a dark and unfamiliar place like a movie theatre, your fun event can rapidly turn into a nightmare. Slip and falls are the most common type of accident and when they happen in a movie theater the result can often be a serious injury. If you have ever been inside of a movie theater, you’ll know that moviegoers are among the most careless and messiest of all customers. Spilling food and soda on just about in every available surface: the floors, stairs, aisles, and bathrooms. When spills occur, it is up to the movie theater to respond quickly and take care of the mess or put up signs to deter accidents. If the movie theater is aware a spill has occurred and does not act to address the spill the area may be unsafe for all customers. This lack of action may mean they acted negligently. If the movie theater was unaware of the spill, it is up to you to prove that the movie theater should have reasonably known about the spill and taken action to clean the spill. Here’s just a few things you need to know.
Slip and fall accidents can happen anywhere and they are particularly common in movie theaters due to the dark and crowded environment. Some of the most common causes of slip and falls in movie theaters include:
- Wet floors, spills, leaks, or cleaning can cause floors to become wet and slippery.
- Uneven flooring: damaged or uneven flooring, such as torn carpets or broken tiles, can cause people to trip and fall.
- Obstacles in the walkway including popcorn, candy or debris left on the floor. Popcorn is often covered with butter and that tends to increase the possibility of a slip and fall injury.
- Poor or inadequate lighting can make it difficult to see where you’re walking.
California law requires movie theaters to conduct regular inspections for dangerous conditions that may result in injury. The California Court of Appeal ruled that retail and similar establishments have a duty to regularly inspect their property to prevent accidents. Anyone who experiences a slip and fall accident at a movie theater or anywhere else should seek medical attention if they have reason to think they may have sustained an injury. Even when someone feels fine it’s valuable to be screened by a health care professional because some injuries are not apparent until later.
Report the incident to the theater management as soon as you are able and have them file an accident report. It is your responsibility to document everything including the date and time of the incident, the location of the fall, the circumstances surrounding the fall, and any injuries you sustained. Taking pictures may be very helpful when possible. The name and contact information of anyone who witnessed the accident should be captured and retained. As with any injury it’s also important to keep all related medical records and bills as well as all communication with the theater management.
We represent people who are injured because of the careless and reckless acts of others. At the end of the day your case can only be settled one time and you need to know all of the facts beforehand. The reason that insurance companies have paid our clients in excess of $130,000,000.00 is that we get the facts and are not intimidated at the prospect of going to trial when insurance companies fail to offer full compensation. We help with serious injuries that require serious representation. We are the Law Offices of Guenard & Bozarth, LLP. Our attorneys have more than 60 years of experience specializing in only representing injured people. Call GB Legal 24/7/365 at 888-809-1075 or visit www.gblegal.com We would be honored to represent you!
