Can I Sue a Movie Theater if I Was Injured on the Premises?

 Posted on September 20, 2022 in Personal Injury

When you go to see the latest blockbuster hit at your local movie theater, you can hardly anticipate having a serious accident while inside the theater. After all, theaters tend to be fairly tame places as far as entertainment goes - you buy a snack, find your seat, and get up to leave after the movie is over.

Surprisingly, however, movie theaters are rife with opportunities for customers to get seriously injured. If you were hurt in a movie theater, it is important to take your injuries seriously. You deserve to be compensated for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages if the theater was responsible for causing or contributing to your injuries. To learn more, read this blog and then contact an experienced Illinois premises liability to learn more about your options.

Common Injuries in Illinois Movie Theaters

Many things in movie theaters can cause unsuspecting patrons to get hurt. These include, but are not limited to:

• Improperly lit stairs, hallways, and parking lots
• Slippery surfaces in the bathrooms and by the concession stands
• Loose carpeting that can easily make someone trip
• Burns or scalds from food that is too hot or from drinks with poorly-fitting lids
• Food poisoning
• Broken theater chairs
• Damaged steps or ramps
• Assault and battery from other customers

While the average trip, slip, or fall may not result in serious injury, many do. Falls are especially dangerous for disabled and elderly people and can cause catastrophic head injuries, back injuries, fractured or broken bones, and more.

Was the Movie Theater Responsible for My Injury?

To prove that a theater is responsible for your injuries, you must overcome significant legal hurdles. These include:

• Proving that the movie theater owed you a duty of care - All commercial and private premises owe something called a “duty of care” to visitors and customers. This means, for example, that legal visitors have a reasonable expectation of safety on the premises of a movie theater. If you were trespassing on the theater’s property, or if you were injured because of your own actions, the theater may not be responsible or may be less responsible for your injuries.
• Proving that the movie theater breached its duty of care - If a manager, employee, or business owner knew or should have known about a hazardous condition and failed to remedy it (such as by fixing it, putting up signs to warn customers, or closing the area), the theater may have breached its duty of care to you.
• Proving causation - You must further prove that the theater’s breach of its duty of care directly or indirectly resulted in your injury.
• Proving damages - Someone who falls and does not get hurt has no case. You need to prove that you suffered something that can be compensated as a result of your injury, such as medical expenses, lost wages, reduced mobility, etc.

An experienced personal injury attorney can help with all of this. You do not need to worry about making a strong legal argument - you simply need to make sure you get your case to a competent, aggressive personal injury lawyer who can take it from there.

Call a Will County Premises Liability Attorney

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured by an avoidable accident that happened as a result of the negligence of a movie theater, call an experienced Joliet, IL premises liability lawyer with Michael J. Lichner - Will County Personal Injury Lawyer. Our team acts with speed and assertiveness to conduct a complete investigation into the circumstances of your accident and will strive to bring the responsible party to justice so you can get the compensation to which you are entitled. Call us today at 815-730-1977 and schedule a free, confidential consultation.

Source:

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2048&ChapterID=57