There are cases of Sacramento personal injury that bring up difficult questions. When you are hit by a drunk driver, for example, it is not hard to be angry with the person and believe that he or she should pay for your medical bills. However, what happens when you slip and fall at church?
Should your church be responsible for your medical bills, pain and suffering and other expenses? This may be harder to agree to, but it may be necessary to ask the church to pay your expenses.
The “Friend” Dilemma
Personal injury cases are always more difficult when you know the people involved. For example, suppose you went over to your best friend’s house and his or her dog bit you. Would you want to sue your best friend for a dog bite? On the other hand, shouldn’t your best friend have prevented the accident by controlling the dog in the first place?
These are the difficult questions that sometimes arise when the defendant in a personal injury case is known to the victim. When a family member, friend or a church group is responsible for your accident and injuries, it is hard sometimes to ask for money to pay your medical bills and to compensate you for your pain and suffering.
On the other hand, people should not be allowed to create or maintain dangerous situations and then escape the consequences of these actions simply because they are friends or because they know you. In many cases, friends and family expect those who are injured to just forget about an accident because of the relationship between the parties. This is taking an unfair advantage of this relationship.
Churches May Have Special Circumstances
Because many churches are cooperatively owned, the circumstances dealing with a church slip-and-fall may be different from that of one that occurs at a store or a private home. Hopefully, the church has liability insurance that will pay for your medical bills and compensate you for your lost time at work and your pain and suffering.
If the church is not insured, there may be a problem collecting money. Churches are often conglomerations of property purchased by individuals pooling their resources, so it could be difficult to collect money from any one person. Some churches are incorporated, while others simply rely on the goodwill and offerings of members to stay in business.
A Sacramento personal injury attorney can help you evaluate your church-related slip and fall. If you have fallen and injured yourself on church property, contact a personal injury attorney before making any decisions about attempting to collect damages. You may find that an insurance policy or other coverage can help you recover damages without harming the church members themselves, and that the insurance company can pay for your medical expenses and other costs. If there is no insurance, a personal injury attorney can advise you on the best way to recover compensation.
