Aside from trick-or-treating, you may celebrate Halloween by going to a haunted house. While this is intended to be a fun, harmless activity, you must still hold an abundance of caution throughout. That is, you do not want to find yourself involved in an accident on these premises. Follow along to find out how a haunted house accident might occur this Halloween and how one of the proficient Bergen County slip & fall accident attorneys at McNerney & McAuliffe can help if you are injured.
How might a haunted house accident occur this Halloween?
An owner of a haunted house is responsible for ensuring that the attraction is free of any hazards before opening it up to the public. Unfortunately, it is common for owners to reject this responsibility. This ultimately heightens the chances that a haunted house accident might occur. More specific examples are as follows:
- An owner neglects to run safety tests on elevators, escalators, or moving rides throughout the premises.
- An owner neglects to rectify loose floorboards or lifted carpets, especially in poorly lit areas.
- An owner neglects to place warning signs or strips for steps, especially in poorly lit areas.
- An owner neglects to properly train costumed employees on how to safely execute scare tactics in the attraction.
- An owner neglects to abide by the building codes for maximum occupancy, smoke detectors, etc. within the haunted house.
What should I do if I am injured this Halloween?
If an owner of a haunted house exhibits negligence in any of the aforementioned ways or otherwise, and you get injured as a result, then you may need to hold them accountable through a personal injury claim.
Your legal action may benefit from you calling law enforcement to the haunted house. This is because an officer may conduct an official accident report that highlights the date, time, contributory factors, and witness testimonies surrounding your accident. Importantly, you should soon request a copy of this report to submit alongside your claim.
What’s more, it is recommended that you also ask the owner to provide an incident report. If they initially refuse, you may remind them that it is likely against their company policy to do so. Again, you should soon request a copy of this report for yourself and the insurance company involved.
This is not to mention the necessity to capture photos and videos of the scene, along with surveillance camera footage of your accident playing out. Also, you must not deny medical attention from paramedics and EMTs who arrive at the scene.
In the end, the first step you must take in your injury claim is to retain the services of one of the talented Bergen County personal injury attorneys. So call us at McNerney & McAuliffe today.
