March 24, 2008

Oprah Winfrey Show Audience Member Sues Harpo Productions For Fall Accident

Orit Greenberg, an audience member at a taping of the “Oprah Winfrey Show” on December 5, 2006, is suing Harpo Studios for personal injury.

Greenberg says that she suffered serious and permanent injuries when she fell down a flight of stairs during a mad rush by audience members to secure the best seats.

Greenberg is asking for $50,000 in damages. She says that Harpo Studios neglected to control audience members, who were told that they could sit wherever they wanted. The patrons, who had been in a waiting area, “rushed the gate” and pushed and shoved inro each other as they entered the studio.

Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents can lead to serious injuries, including broken bones and head injuries. It is the responsibility of a property or business owner to make sure that there are no conditions on a premise that can allow a person to slip or trip and fall. These types of accidents can be more serious than they sound, and the medical costs and time necessary for recovery can be lengthy.

Slip and fall accidents can be occur because of poorly lit hallways, damaged staircases, uneven sidewalks, debris or liquids left on the floor, and other unsafe conditions that can cause a person to slip and fall.

To prove liability in a slip and fall case, the plaintiff must prove that the owner or manager of the property caused the condition that resulted in the slip and fall accident, knew about the hazardous condition but did nothing to remedy the situation, or should have known about the unsafe condition and done something to fix it.

The statute of limitations for filing a slip and fall lawsuit in Massachusetts is three years from the time of the injury accident. There are certain cases, however, where the plaintiff may have to notify a property owner of the sip and fall accident right away to stay eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit—there may be even stricter notice requirements if your slip and fall accident occurred on a public premise.

Our experienced Boston, Massachusetts slip and fall lawyers have a combined 50 years of experience that allows us to work towards the best outcome for your injury case. We know how to properly investigate, pursue, and prove your slip and fall accident case, as well as determine how much recovery you should receive.

We will aggressively protect your rights and if necessary, our trial lawyers will fight for your slip and fall compensation in court.

Audience member sues Oprah's company after fall down stair, Suntimes.com, March 19, 2008

Slip and Fall/Premises Liability, CBS.com, March 23, 2008


Related Web Resources:

Slip and Fall, Nolo.com

Harpo Productions, Encyclopedia of Chicago

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January 11, 2008

Middlesex Superior Court Judge Sues Massachusetts and Norfolk County for Slip and Fall Accident

In Massachusetts, Middlesex Superior Court Judge Paul Chernoff is suing the state of Massachusetts and Norfolk County for the injuries he sustained when he slipped and fell on the steps of the Norfolk County Courthouse in Lowell in 2004. The commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Norfolk County Commission, and the Division of Capital Asset Management were named as the parties held liable for not making sure that the building was maintained properly.

In his premises liability lawsuit, Chernoff alleges that his slip and fall accident occurred because the county and the state did not repair the cracks in the steps of the court building or add handrails. As a result of the unsafe conditions, Chernoff says that he slipped and broke his left kneecap. Since Chernoff’s accident, new handrails have been added to the staircase.

Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents usually occur because the grounds of a premise are not safe—either because of disrepair, failure to clean up a slippery/condition or pick up debris or objects off the ground, poor lighting, uneven flooring, or other circumstances that could easily have been prevented if the area was properly maintained. Because of the unsafe conditions, a person may slip and/or trip and then fall, sustaining injuries as a result.

In 2001 The National Safety Council named fall accidents as the number one cause of non-fatal injuries requiring immediate medical treatment, with thousands of people getting hurt. Fall accidents, however, can also be fatal—especially when someone drops from a higher level to a lower one. In 2002, some 14,500 people died in fall accidents. Bruises, broken bones, sprains, torn ligaments, dislocated limbs, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, head and neck injuries, are among the injuries that can occur.

Slip and fall injury cases fall under the area of premises liability law, which holds the owner or manager or other person in charge of a property liable for allowing the unsafe conditions that caused the injury accident to exist on the premise.

Slip and fall accidents can occur on private and public premises, including parks, parking lots, sidewalks, outside steps, restaurants, grocery stores, apartment buildings, and office buildings.

A Massachusetts slip and fall accident law firm can help you file your case against the negligent party or parties.

Judge slips and sues the county, Daily News Transcript, January 10, 2008


Related Web Resources:

Slip and Fall Injury Statistics, Safety Today

National Safety Council

Slip and Fall, Nolo.com


Continue reading "Middlesex Superior Court Judge Sues Massachusetts and Norfolk County for Slip and Fall Accident" »