A couple days ago I saw a story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about a wooden deck that collapsed when about 20 women got on it to pose for a picture at a wedding shower. The women fell approximately 10 feet, and nine of them were hurt to varying degrees. The injured were taken to hospitals near Wildwood, where the incident happened — apparently one of them was even flown in by helicopter. The women’s injuries included broken bones, cuts and bruises, and serious internal injuries.
This story is interesting to me as a St. Louis personal injury lawyer, as a possible example of a legal theory called premises liability. Of course, we don’t know from the article, but perhaps they had not properly maintained their deck. Of course, 20 sounds like it may be a lot of people to have on a backyard deck, and it may simply have been overloaded. If it turns out that the homeowner had maintained the deck poorly, or negligently and knowingly allowed too many guests on it, she could be liable in a Missouri premises liability lawsuit.
If you have been injured on someone else’s property and you believe it was caused by that person or organization’s carelessness, you should consult a legal professional who specializes in accidents similar to yours and understands the law. In this case, that would be a Missouri personal injury attorney like me. That lawyer could then help the injured parties find out exactly what their rights are.
Based in St. Louis, Carey, Danis & Lowe handles personal injury lawsuits for people throughout Missouri and southern Illinois. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured because of someone else’s negligence, our St. Louis personal injury lawyers would like to help. We offer free, confidential consultations, so you can learn more about your rights and your claim with no risk or commitment. To set up an appointment, please contact us online or call toll-free at 1-877-678-3400.
