San Diego Comic-Con Accidents and Injuries: What Are My Legal Options?
San Diego has been the home of Comic-Con International since 1970. Drawing visitors from around the world, this event has provided a half-century of cherished memories for fans of everything from Star Trek to Marvel Comics and beyond.
Unfortunately, the enormous influx of excited visitors increases the risk of serious personal injuries and catastrophic accidents. If you have been harmed as either an out-of-state traveler or a California local, you have legal options to seek compensation for your losses. In this blog post, I will detail various types of lawsuits that may arise out of the Comic-Con event and how you can pursue these to make yourself whole.
Injuries at the San Diego Convention Center
The most recent editions of Comic-Con have had approximately 130,000 visitors each year. It is incredibly difficult for the organizers to make sure that everybody has a safe experience. However, by hosting the convention, the organizers take on a legal duty to protect attendees from avoidable dangers. Here are some ways they may fail in this duty.
Slip and Fall Accidents
If you or a loved one experienced a slip and fall accident that was caused by the negligence of the organizers, you can pursue a premises liability lawsuit. There are various ways that the owners of the building can be liable in a slip and fall case. These include:
- Failing to clean up wet floors promptly, or failing to post signage warning attendees that an area of the floor is wet
- Not meeting state government requirements for handrails, guardrails, and stair rails
- Not maintaining elevators and escalators
Negligent Security
Security guards and other Comic-Con staff are hired to maintain a safe environment for all attendees. Unfortunately, some of these individuals overstep their bounds by acting aggressively and causing physical harm. Others may cause an accident due to improper training. If you or a loved one was harmed by overzealous or violent security, we can sue them and their employer, if applicable.
There Are Many Types of Compensation in Personal Injury Lawsuits
When you pursue a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, you can seek compensation in the following areas and more:
- Caregiving expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Medical bills
- Mental anguish
- Physical pain
- Property damage
- Reduced future earnings
Get a free case review today to find out if you have a legal claim worth pursuing.
Accidents Traveling to Comic-Con
There are many ways to get to and from the San Diego Convention Center and Downtown San Diego in general. All of these methods of transportation may result in an accident through no fault of your own.
As a seasoned personal injury lawyer, I know how to evaluate various types of transportation accidents, such as:
- Car and truck collisions
- Bicycle accidents
- Trolley accidents
- Uber/Lyft accidents
- Pedestrian crashes
Accidents Around Downtown San Diego
Your accident did not have to take place in or around the convention center for you to have standing in a personal injury lawsuit. If you were hurt anywhere around the San Diego area, I can help.
While the city is famous for its beautiful beaches, lovely scenery, and incredible culture, San Diego is infamous for sidewalks causing injuries due to a state of egregious disrepair; San Diego has 85,000 different sidewalks that must be fixed. If you slipped, fell, or tripped because of an uneven or damaged sidewalk, we can sue the city government to seek the compensation you deserve.
Keep This Deadline in Mind
You must know that the deadline for suing the government is significantly shorter than the two years you have to file a personal injury case.
If you are suing the city of San Diego, you have just six months from the day of your accident to file an administrative claim.
Partially At-Fault? You Can Still Pursue Compensation
Because your accident took place in California, it will be governed by California law. Some of these can be surprising to out-of-state attendees who may live in states that have legal codes that are not on the side of victims.
Unlike states that bar compensation for a victim who played any role in causing their accident, California lets victims win lawsuits even if their behavior was not perfect. For example, if you were hit while jaywalking, you may still be able to obtain significant compensation.
Hurt at Your Hotel or Airbnb? I Can Help
Staying in an unsafe hotel or Airbnb can turn a dream Comic-Con experience into a nightmare. If the owners of the hotel you stayed at or the hosts of your Airbnb failed to maintain safe living conditions, we can sue them for significant compensation.
Comic-Con’s Popularity Can Work in Our Favor
Some personal injury lawsuits can be difficult to win due to a lack of hard evidence. Thankfully, Comic-Con is a widely videoed event held in a massive convention center. Depending on the specifics of your case, we may be able to obtain security footage owned by the organizers to use as evidence.
We may also be able to find publicly available videos filmed by attendees like:
- Fans
- Vloggers
- Media Companies
Do not be discouraged if you feel that you don’t have enough proof to win your case. Proven personal injury lawyers know how to find the evidence necessary to win.
What My Law Firm Can Offer Injury Victims
My law office in San Diego puts the needs of accident survivors and their families first.
I earned my law degree from the University of California Hastings College of Law in 1983. For over 40 years since, I have been a practicing attorney in our state, winning complex cases and becoming intimately familiar with all relevant laws.
I am proud to say that the legal representation I have provided Californians has led to widespread recognition. For example, I have been named a Super Lawyer® every year since this distinction was created, meaning I have been annually listed within the top 5% of attorneys across the whole of California.
You Pay Nothing Unless Your Attorney Wins: Contact Us for a Free Case Review
Your San Diego personal injury lawyer will provide contingency representation. That means you will begin with a free consultation and be charged nothing unless your case results in a successful verdict or settlement. If your attorney doesn’t win, you don’t pay.
Contact me now to learn about getting proven legal representation with no upfront cost.
About Charles T. Hoge
Charles T. Hoge has practiced law since 1983. He opened his own firm in Downtown La Jolla in 2016. The Hoge Law Firm has been recognized by both U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers as a leading practice for commercial litigation and employment law.
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