Part of the thrill that comes from haunted houses is because they give off the illusion of imminent danger. But this does not mean that it is actually acceptable to be placed in danger, and subsequently incur injuries and damages, while visiting this premises. Continue reading to learn the potential risks of a haunted house and how one of the experienced Panama City slip & fall accident attorneys at Manuel & Thompson, PA can help you attain justice.
What are the foreseeable risks of a haunted house?
More often than not, visitors to a haunted house may be required to sign a liability waiver before entering this attraction. This waiver may state that you cannot sue a haunted house owner for injuries that were caused by foreseeable risks. Further, a foreseeable risk can be expected to occur in a given situation by a reasonable person.
With that being said, a liability waiver may disclose any or all of the following foreseeable risks:
- The owner will not be held liable for any slip and fall injuries that you incur due to the dim lighting within the haunted house.
- You should not enter the haunted house if you suffer from pre-existing heart conditions due to the frequent jump scares involved in the attraction.
- You should not enter the haunted house if you suffer from pre-existing photogenic epilepsy due to the excessive flashing strobe lights within this attraction.
What are the potential dangers due to the gross negligence of a haunted house owner?
However, signing a liability waiver does not necessarily mean that you gave up all of your rights. That is, you may still be eligible to pursue a personal injury lawsuit if your accident was caused by the gross negligence of a haunted house owner. In other words, you encountered a hazard that was not open or obvious and rather beyond your reasonable control.
Without further ado, examples of potential dangers that are associated with a haunted house owner’s gross negligence are as follows:
- An owner fails to fix broken floorboards, raised carpeting, loose handrails, etc.
- An owner fails to clear spilled liquids from the walkways.
- An owner fails to smoothen sharp edges or protruding objects along the walkways.
- An owner fails to properly secure overhead props or decorations.
- An owner fails to properly train costumed employees on how to safely scare visitors.
- An owner fails to prevent the haunted house from getting overcrowded by costumed employees and visitors.
- An owner fails to install proper carbon monoxide and smoke detectors throughout the haunted house.
Regarding your personal injury claim, there is no time like the present to get started. So please reach out to one of the skilled Panama City personal injury attorneys from Manuel & Thompson, PA at your earliest possible convenience.