A Georgia university hosting a sports recruiting event found itself facing a lawsuit over an attendee’s amputated finger. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, a folding chair’s hinge caught the plaintiff’s right-hand little finger as he stood up from the dinner table.
Staff at the emergency room were unable to successfully re-attach the severed finger. After spending the next several years in pain, undergoing surgery and a skin graft, the plaintiff sought damages for his injury from seven different defendants.
A legal action may require suing various entities or individuals
Visitors invited to a public or private establishment have a right to utilize the space safely and free from dangerous conditions or hazardous defects. Under Georgia’s negligence laws, a visitor who sustains a serious injury while on the premises may file a legal action against the owner and any of its associated vendors or suppliers.
As reported by Sports Illustrated magazine, the plaintiff’s lawsuit sought damages for numerous torts such as premises liability, product liability, negligence and breach of warranty. Seven different parties, including the manufacturer of the folding chair, allegedly contributed to the severed finger and its painful aftermath.
There is a duty to prevent harm and warn of risks
Owners and managers of an establishment owe a duty of care to their patrons to provide them with safe premises. Manufacturers of products also have a duty to design and distribute safe products. If a product may cause injury, the manufacturer must place a noticeable warning sign on it to warn the user of the possible risk.
When a breach of duty results in an injury, a plaintiff may seek damages. The court may award compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and the loss of the quality of life.
