Premises Liability, Part 3: Injured On A College Campus

The rules and regulations regarding premises liability incidents on college campuses can be complicated. There are many ways in which a visitor or student at a college campus can suffer injury. Common accidents on college campuses include slip and fall accidents, parking lot injuries, car accidents, pedestrian accidents, swimming pool accidents as well as negligent security injuries, such as those inflicted during an assault.

Under the doctrine of premises liability, people injured on a college campus have the right to seek damages from the college if it can be proven that negligence on the part of the school caused an injury. However, not every injury on campus will be the fault of the college. Sometimes, the negligence of a third party is the cause of injury. However, questions of liability can be complex, and sometimes multiple parties can be responsible.

An Example of Premises Liability on College Campus

If, for example, a student is struck by a bus on campus, then it is possible that the driver of the bus was the one who should be held liable. But what if the driver only hit the student because the brakes were not maintained? What if there was a defective part of the bus that led to an accident? These questions need to be answered if an injured person is ever going to be made whole again, and the best way to make sure all bases are covered is to speak to an attorney.

If you suffer injuries on a college campus:

• Contact campus police.
• Seek immediate medical attention, even if you do not think you are hurt that badly. Some injuries, such as traumatic brain injury or soft tissue injuries, are not immediately apparent.
• Contact the college president’s office so that the school can begin investigating the incident.