Summer is a great time to catch your favorite band or musician in concert -- there are many outdoor venues and it's warm well into the evening, creating a great atmosphere for taking in some tunes. However, a concert venue can be an atmosphere that is less safe than most locations, and outdoor venues can present extra safety hazards like unstable footing, unforeseen problems due to weather, and visibility problems as the evening gets dark. Because of these issues, a concert can be a hazardous place where injuries are more likely to occur. If you've been injured at a concert, there are some steps you can follow to determine if you should take legal action to seek compensation for your injuries.
1. Write it Down
Write down everything that happened, in detail, as soon as you can. It's easy for your memory to get fuzzy the longer you go without recording exactly what happened, especially at a concert where it was loud, crowded, and hard to see clearly. Record specific details like the exact time, location, people's names, and exactly how the injury itself happened, as well as what happened immediately after and what the venue or concert staff did, if anything, to help. These notes will help in determining if you have a legitimate case and who was at fault for your injury.
2. Get Your Evidence Together
Talk to people who witnessed the injury and get their names and contact information so you can use them as witnesses or use their statements as evidence in the case. Find out if there's video, either from people's cellphones or the venue's security system, of the incident. Take pictures of anything that needs to be documented -- for example, if you slipped on a worn, muddy patch in the grass and hurt your back, snap a photo of the unkempt, muddy patch. Gather all of the paperwork and bills from your doctor and your pay stubs from your job if the injury caused you to miss any work; these will be valuable in proving how much you are owed in damages.
3. Seek out a Personal Injury Attorney
Take the notes and evidence you've gathered and talk to a personal injury attorney as soon as possible to get the ball rolling. The attorney will be able to tell you if you have a legitimate case, if it's worth pursuing, and any other specifics related to your unique case.
4. Figure out Who's Responsible
Talk to your personal injury attorney to figure out what your state's specific laws are about contributory and comparative negligence. Ascertain who owns the venue and who was the event promoter, as they are likely responsible in part for the injury, as it's their responsibility to make sure the event is safe for all patrons (as long as it's determined that what caused the injury could have foreseeable been prevented). Also, get the details about any third parties or individuals who were at fault. For example, if you got your arm broken because of a rowdy moshpit, the person who ran into you would share some of the fault along with the venue that allowed the unsafe environment to exist.
Going to outdoor concerts can be a fun way to pass the time during the summer, but they can be dangerous if the venue, promoter, and patrons haven't taken steps to help ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience. An injury at a concert can be frustrating and overwhelming, yet the steps listed above can help you more easily put together a case that will get you the compensation that you're owed. If you've been injured at a concert, or elsewhere, talk to a personal injury attorney from a firm like Clearfield & Kofsky to get your case off the ground today.
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