There are so many things to love about city parks, form the outdoor spaces to the recreational facilities. Some are huge and others are cozy and small, some have great options for older family members and others are filled with playgrounds. The bad news is that city parks can also be a host to significant accidents every year. In the case that the accident could have been prevented with maintenance and supervision by the city, is the city then responsible?
The answer to that question is more complicated than a simple “yes” or “no.” Read on to learn about one example of an injury in a city park. Then reach out to The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 if you have been injured in a city park or other area in which you believe the owner of the property was negligent. We can start you off with a free legal consultation.
Consider this case
In a Los Angeles park, a young boy fell into a drainage pipe. He was in Griffith Park, standing on board over the pipe, when the board broke. Luckily, there is a happy ending to this story: The boy was rescued within 12 hours. However, this could just as easily have ended with a wrongful death case. In fact, consider that he was found more than a mile from where he fell in. This accident was caused by a sanitation facility that was not in use and was poorly cordoned off.
If you are injured in a city park then you have a limited amount of time to sue
If you are injured in a city park in the state of California and you plan to take legal action, you will have a limited amount of time to do so. If you are suing because the city has facilities that have hazards that should have been removed then the case will be under premises liability. This involves a case in which the owner or landlord should have protected people on the property and they did not.
Some parks have supervision during park hours. One example is a city park swimming pool, which likely has a lifeguard on duty during open hours. If they were on duty when a child drowned or was otherwise injured, and the lifeguard did not take action, behaved carelessly, or was otherwise negligent, then the city may be held accountable.
You only have six months to file charges against the city
The bottom line is this: If a person is injured on city, county, or federal property then they only have six months to file a personal injury claim. Note that the statute of limitations for other types of personal injury cases is between two and three years in California. However, if your case involves the government then you are racing against a different clock. Reach out to The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 for a free legal consultation.
