Pittsburgh Campus Injury Accident Attorneys

Injured on a Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Campus?

Traditionally, a college campus has been considered a safe enclave where students are able to learn and develop their minds in a safe environment, removed from much of the chaos and stress of the rest of the world. Although creating a safe academic environment is the duty of the institution’s administration, it is not uncommon for those responsible for campus safety to fall short of that goal. The premises of college and university campuses are not always entirely safe places to be.  However, accidents occur on Pittsburgh Pennsylvania campuses just like everywhere else.  A wide range of different types of accidents occur on campuses across the U.S.  If you have been the victim of a campus accident, contact an experienced Pittsburgh personal injury lawyer for an initial consultation. our experienced Pittsburgh PA legal team has the experience to assist with a campus personal injury claim.

How Campus Injuries Occur

Pittsburgh Campus injuries can occur in various ways, ranging from sports injuries and trip and fall accidents all the way to serious acts of violence. Some injuries are more likely to occur on campuses than elsewhere: sports injuries, such as concussions attributable to improper safety equipment and over training in hot weather, injuries that occur in a chemistry lab, or hazing injuries. Most disturbing are the multiple shooting deaths that have occurred on several campuses in recent years, including the mass shootings at Virginia Tech and the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Other types of accident injuries on campus are similar to those that occur elsewhere, for example slip and fall accidents, motor vehicle accidents, pedestrian accidents, and bicycle accidents.

Negligent Maintenance or Negligent Security on Campus

College and university administration personnel are responsible for the safe condition of the campus premises, and when hazards occur and a student or visitor is injured, the school may be held liable for premises negligence if it can be shown that they failed to exercise reasonable caution in maintaining the premises in a safe condition or providing sufficient security to prevent assaults on students by others.

Slip, Trip, and Fall Injuries

On college campuses, slip, trip and fall accidents are among the most common injury types. Causes include:

  • Trash, debris, acorns, or wet leaves on walkways
  • Wet pavement from sprinkler systems
  • Staircases in poor repair or lacking hand rails
  • Highly-polished floors
  • Wet floors (slip and fall accident)
  • Food spilled in a dining hall or student center
  • Ripped carpet
  • Potholes
  • Sidewalks cracked or elevated by root growth
  • Electrical cords crossing a floor or aisle
  • Elevators that don’t stop level with the floor, or that stop abruptly

Assault and Acts of Violence

Violent crimes on America college campuses have become more common in recent years. Whether this is because of higher stress levels, substance abuse, more mental illness, or the easy availability of guns is uncertain and much debated. In addition to several campus massacres, students have become victims of muggings, robberies, assault, battery, hazing injuries, and rape, which often occur when there is a lack of appropriate security precautions, such as:

  • Adequate lighting
  • Security cameras in parking lots, dark corridors, etc.
  • Private security personnel
  • Student escorts
  • Locked doors and windows in dormitories
  • Warning systems to notify students of potential or ongoing violence on campus
  • Mental health counselors and psychological services for emotionally disturbed students

A student who has been injured on campus because of the administration’s negligence in maintaining the campus to provide for the safety and security of its students may hold the school liable for damages resulting from an premises liability injury incurred in a college classroom, dormitory, dining hall, common area, parking lot, or on any school-owned property, if it can be proven that the school failed to take reasonable precautions to safeguard those on its premises.

Free Consultation on Campus Injury or Wrongful Death

If you are a student who has been injured in any way on a college campus, or if you are a parent of a student who has been injured or killed as a result of the negligence of college administration, other students, or outsiders who have come onto the campus, call the Pittsburgh, PA law firm of Chaffin Luhana today to arrange an appointment for a free consultation. We will conduct an investigation to identify any parties whose negligence or wrongdoing caused or contributed to the injury or wrongful death. We will seek monetary damages to compensate you for medical expenses, lost earnings, loss of enjoyment of life, and psychological damage such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We passionately believe that a college campus should provide a secure learning environment, and when a school fails in this regard, it should be made to pay adequate compensation to the victim. Time restrictions apply, so call us as soon after the incident as you can manage.

School Campus Injury Law Firm in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Chaffin & Luhana LLP
615 Iron City Dr,
Pittsburgh, PA 15205
Phone:(412)-345-8144