Injured from a Chair that Broke when I Sat on It – Can I Sue?

Chairs exist in just about every location we visit on a daily basis, from our workplace to other people’s homes. You can find a wide variety of chairs that are used for different purposes, ranging from dining chairs to professional salon chairs with hydraulic pumps that help them go up and down.

In general, these are items that we take for granted in terms of their usage and safety. However, chairs must be maintained and occasionally replaced as they wear out over time. This is particularly true in commercial settings, where a chair experiences frequent and heavy use. Those who manufacture chairs also have a duty to take all reasonable precautions in the design and construction of the item.

Unfortunately, product makers and property owners often neglect their responsibilities, and as a result, someone may be injured from a chair that breaks when they sit on it. As someone that suffered injuries from falling off a chair, you may have questions about your right to file an accident claim for monetary damages. The fall accident injury lawyers of Kenmore are here to assist you, so contact us right away for a free consultation.

What Causes a Chair to Break?

An accident caused by a broken chair can happen from a number of issues, including how the chair is designed, the care that was put into it by the manufacturer, and normal wear and tear. Here are some of the common defects that can lead to a chair collapse fall accident:

• Manufacturer not following industry safety standards or federal guidelines
• Cheap or defective hardware that loosens or moves out of place
• Defective locking mechanisms on portable / folding chairs
• Chairs falling over due to an uneven base or legs
• Using low-grade materials that wear out more quickly than they should

Broken Chair Accident Injuries

When there is a flaw with any part of a chair, it’s only a matter of time before someone is injured. Sadly, many of the chair accident injuries we come across could have been prevented, either by the manufacturer or the owner of the property where the chair is located. These incidents often result in serious injuries, such as:

• Deep lacerations
• Traumatic brain injury from trauma to the head
• Tailbone fracture
• Hip fracture or hip dislocation
• Knee injury (patellar fracture or ligament tear)
• Broken teeth and other dental damage
• Retinal detachment, damage to the cornea and other eye injuries
• Ankle and/or wrist sprain
• Neck injury
• Spinal cord damage
• Paralysis and other permanent complications from nerve damage
• Chronic pain

Immediate medical care is the key to recovering from an accident without major complications. However, there is no denying that some of these injuries are serious enough to cause permeant disability, particularly among the elderly, small children, and those with certain pre-existing health conditions. If negligence by another party is the reason you are injured, a broken chair lawsuit attorney can help you obtain the compensation you deserve.

I Sat on a Chair and it Broke – Do I have a Case against the Chair Manufacturer?

You may have a case against the manufacturer of chair if there were structural issues with the item that existed while it was still in their possession. In other words, there was a problem that occurred during the manufacturing process that made the chair unsafe and likely to cause an accident. Of course, proving that the manufacturer is at fault is the hard part, and this is where a product liability lawyer can be of help.

Then again, it’s not always the manufacturer that is at fault when a chair falls apart while someone is sitting on it. In the next section, we will talk about the property owner’s responsibility when there is an accident on their premises.

Can I Sue the Owner of the Chair for my Injuries?
Yes, it’s possible to sue a property owner for chair accidents that occur on their premises if you end up with an injury. Under California laws on premises liability, owners and operators of both residential and commercial properties must take measures to ensure that their property is safe for guests and visitors. While they can’t prevent every single incident of injury, they can take reasonable measures, like replacing worn chairs or having them repaired.

With that in mind, you may have grounds to file a claim against the owner of the property if their negligence is the reason you fell down from a chair breaking apart. In some instances, both the owner and the chair manufacturer are at fault, so it’s a matter of figuring out how liability is split between these two entities.

Restitution for Broken Chair Accident Victims
Whether you file a premises liability claim or product liability lawsuit, there are specific damages that you can demand as a part of your settlement. By meeting with one of our legal experts, you can determine which of these payments you are entitled to:

• Cost of medical treatments and related services
• Value of lost wages, and possibly loss of earning potential
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Property damage
• Cost of hiring a lawyer
• Punitive damages

How Long Do I have to File an Injury Claim?

The deadline for a personal injury lawsuit in California is 2 years from whenever the injury occurred. So, this is generally 24 months from the incident date, which means the clock starts ticking on the statute of limitations from the moment you are injured. We suggest that you contact us to learn about the legal process and initiate a claim for damages as soon as possible.

Please note that you have less time to file a broken chair accident claim if the party you are suing is a public entity. For example, you may have hurt yourself from sitting on a chair that broke while you were at the DMV, a public school, police department, or another property owned / operated by the government. In these situations, you only have 6 months starting from the accident date to file a compensation claim.

To ensure that you file your claim on time, talk to a collapsing chair accident lawyer at our office to verify the correct deadline for a lawsuit.

Contact Kenmore Law Group

Our legal team is standing by to assist you 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Don’t hesitate to call if you need information about your rights and legal options. Whether you were injured by manufacturer negligence or a careless property owner, we are ready to bring you maximum payment from a defective chair accident injury case.

As one of our clients, you won’t have to worry about paying us for the cost of legal services. We all cases on contingency and ask the defendant to pay for legal fees as a part of your compensation award. That’s why we make absolutely nothing if we fail to bring you payment from a successful lawsuit.

Contact us at your earliest convenience and schedule a free case review with one of our attorneys.