Here is something you might not have considered: injuries on campsites. If you go camping in the warmer months, how often do you sustain a serious injury? It does not happen all that often, but if it does happen to you, can you sue? After all, the campsite location is owned and operated by a company or individual, and they are responsible for things that happen on their property, right? Well, as any personal injury attorneys will tell you, it depends on the following.
Was the Injury a Result of Horseplay or Drunkenness?
People who go camping sometimes take beer with them, and they can get a little rowdy. If you were injured as a result of drunken behavior (e.g., stumbling over a large tree root in your campsite and breaking a leg after consuming alcohol), you cannot sue. If you were sober, you probably would not have stumbled over the tree root and hurt yourself. This is the argument that the campground owner's lawyer will make, and it is difficult to set up a counterargument for that.
Did You Fail to Follow Campground Rules?
All campgrounds have rules: Do not leave food outside at night. Do not feed wild animals. Do not leave your boots or shoes where critters can slither or crawl in for warmth at night.
When you checked into your campground and went to set up your campsite, you probably received a piece of paper with several rules on it. Following those rules will keep you safe from any possible harm that could befall you while camping. If you ignore those rules and get attacked by a bear foraging through your coolers for food or a poisonous spider bites your toe after you put on your shoes in the morning, that is on you. The campground's caretaker gave you the rules as a warning. On the flip side, if you follow all the rules but you were not told that there were a lot of hungry bears roaming into camps at night and you are attacked, it might be a case for negligence.
Campgrounds Were Not Cleared of Poisonous Things
All campgrounds are supposed to be cleared of poisonous plants that can cause itching, rashes, and illnesses. Known spiders and other poisonous insects or bugs should be sprayed for at the start of the camping season. If you require immediate medical attention for something that should not have been present at your campsite and that was the responsibility of the owner or caretaker, then you might have a case.
For more information, reach out to personal injury attorneys near you.
