Articles Tagged with San Francisco premises liability lawyer

According to the CDC, 3,500 people die from unintentional drownings not related to boating every year. Many of those deaths occur in swimming pools located on the properties of hotels, apartment buildings, and condominium complexes. The owners of these properties are responsible for ensuring that their swimming pools are safe and that they have warning signs up regarding the risks associated with swimming pools. When property owners fail to do this and someone becomes injured or killed in their swimming pool, they can be held liable.

Responsibility of Property Owners

Property owners are responsible for ensuring that their property is safe and well maintained, and that includes swimming pools on the property. When it comes to swimming pools specifically, property owners are responsible for:

david-klein-407116-unsplash-copy-240x300In early March, a video was released showing a 5-year-old dangling from a chairlift at Bear Mountain Ski Resort. The young child slipped from the chairlift shortly after it started moving. The child’s ski instructor caught her by her hoodie. During the time she was dangling from the lift, the child was choked by her the hoodie and her helmet. Thankfully, the young girl was able to safely drop to a tarp. She suffered bruising to her neck.

From initial reports, it appears at least two things went wrong. The night before, rain in the area froze, causing ice on the equipment. The child’s parents believe the lifts were not properly cleaned in the morning before being put to use. Also, when the child, her sibling, and the instructor got on the chairlift, the safety bar was not brought down. Bear Mountain officials are investigating the accident to determine what went wrong and how to prevent similar occurrences.

Ski Resorts are Not Liable for All Injuries

dawn-armfield-66060-copy-300x225In October of 2016, a fire broke out in a warehouse in Oakland, California. The warehouse, known as Ghost Ship, had been converted into an artist collective and was illegally home to numerous people. At the time of the fire, the warehouse was hosting a concert with about 50 guests. 36 people were killed. Now, two tenants of the warehouse have been arrested and charged with crimes in relation to the fire.

The Ghost Ship Warehouse Fire

Investigators could not determine the exact cause of the fire, which began on the first floor at around 11:20 p.m., however it is speculated that it may have begun with an electrical appliance. Investigators could pinpoint numerous factors that led to the significant number of fatalities. The warehouse did not have smoke detectors or any fire suppression system, like sprinklers. There were only two stairways in the warehouse and neither led to a direct exit out of the building. One of the stairways was built from stacked wooden pallets, which meant it likely began to burn while visitors and residents were attempting to escape. Additionally, because the dwellings within the warehouse were homemade out of random materials and were not organized with straight hallways, it was difficult for visitors to navigate the warehouse and find an exit.

teddyChildren are our most precious resource and protecting them is both a duty and an honor.  Children are naturally curious and unable to fully appreciate potential dangers, making it important for adults to exercise vigilance to keep them safe.  The law reflects this shared responsibility, including in the context of children and premises liability law.  Our Oakland child injury lawyer helps parents fight for the rights of children who are injured or killed because someone else did not maintain their property in a safe manner.

Child Nearly Drowns at Oakley Pond

The Oakland Tribune reports that a young child nearly drowned in a pond in Oakley on Monday.  Responding to a call, East Contra Costa County Fire Protection District arrived at a pond near the 5300 block of Tule Tree Lane where a one-year-old had nearly drowned.  As of this writing, the child’s injuries are unknown but the article reports that an air ambulance transported the baby to a hospital.

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