From time to time, our Bakersfield lawyers receive phone calls from client who have been injured in some way by automatic doors. These accidents have come about in all places of business, including malls, shopping centers, grocery stores, convenience stores, and more. Some have even reported being injured by an automatic sliding door in a hospital, school, or office building. These incidents can take you completely by surprise, as nobody really expects a sliding door to malfunction and cause you any damage. Regardless, these accidents happen, and it is important that you know you are able to pursue legal compensation if you sustained injuries afterward. Normandie Law Firm, one of the top-rated law groups in California, is here to help you successfully earn compensation from the liable property owner if an automatic door caused you injuries. Our clients often call us after these accidents and ask numerous questions, including queries about what the best course of action is and what they can possibly receive in a settlement. Examples of other such questions include:
- I need an automatic door accident attorney. Who can I call?
- Where can I find a skilled Bakersfield attorney with experience handling automatic door accident lawsuits?
- Can I sue a business for a sliding door injury?
Causes of Malfunctions in Automatic Doors
An automatic door works by detecting a person or object approaching the door with the use of a sensor and engaging the door to open. They also prevent the door from closing if there is something in the way. These sensors and optics can be quite sensitive, but after some time, they may wear down due to overuse and lack of upkeep. It is also possible that they get dirty and do not get cleaned as often as they should.
Thus, a bad sensor can cause a door to close when an object or a person is in the doorway, or it may open at the wrong time and catch someone’s sleeve or hand.
An automatic sliding door may also not have proper maintenance checks, which can lead to a blank amount of knowledge on when the parts need to be replaced. Old or outdated parts on a sliding door can make it more likely to break during use. The electronics may start to short circuit, for instance, which can cause the door to close with more force than necessary; further, the door may slam shut on a hand or limb and then outright refuse to open. An automatic sliding door has a lot of power in it, and if you are caught between the door and wall, you may suffer debilitating injuries.
There is also the chance that the door was not properly installed. The contracting company that was hired to put up the door may have rushed the job, leading to an improper set up. The door may not be properly affixed to its track or it may not meet all safety requirements. Doors that were not properly hooked up could very well fall off the tracks and cause devastating injuries to those nearby.
Furthest back on the liability chain would be the manufacturer of the automatic door. It is possible that the door was not properly designed before it was distributed for installation, or it suffered a manufacturing error. A manufacturing error could result in thousands of doors getting recalled for the possibility of causing injuries.
One of our experienced attorneys in Bakersfield, California, can help you determine the proper party to sue for injuries by an automatic door.
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Potential Injuries
Automatic doors can cause any number of injuries from malfunctioning. Those at greater risk include patrons with heavy bags, small children, and the elderly. These individuals are usually less able to protect themselves from automatic doors because they are not paying close attention or they are more fragile than others. For example, a child may not be entirely aware of his surroundings, which results in him getting trapped between a sliding door and the wall. An older person would likely just have his leg get stuck, but a child may be completely pinned down. The scale of injuries would be much more severe on the child.
Other injuries that can occur include:
- Broken bones in the hands, feet, legs, and shoulders
- Damage hips and back from being knocked down
- Crushing injuries to limbs
- Torn flesh and lacerations
- Internal organ damage from a slammed door
- Heavy bruising
- Numerous cuts and possible infections from broken glass
If you have been involved in an automatic door accident, immediately seek medical attention for your injuries and quickly gather as much evidence as you can. Some property owners will try to deny the incident occurred and will repair the door as soon as you leave, while others may remove it entirely. It is crucial that you have ample documented proof that shows the automatic door caused your injuries. A Bakersfield lawyer with expertise in sliding door injury cases can help you collect your evidence and bring your case to court.
Filing an Automatic Door Accident Lawsuit
Before you file an automatic door accident lawsuit, you should determine who your defendant will be. It is important to not file a claim against the wrong defendant, as you will likely have the claim get dismissed. If the liability can be attributed to the manufacturer of the door, your primary lawsuit should rest against that company; however, if it can be proven that the property owner did not properly maintain the door, the owner can be sued for his negligence.
Assuming you were a patron in a business, you would be considered to be an invitee under the law. This means that you were expressly permitted to enter the premises, and the property owner must afford you the highest duty of care. He must take care to inform you of any potential dangers that exist on the property as well as make an effort to protect you from any injuries. This protection involves fixing potentially harmful objects; in this case, automatic sliding doors. If it can be proven that the property owner knew of the malfunction with the door and did nothing to act on it, he can be held totally responsible for your injuries.
If you enter the property as a licensee, however, you are treated to a slightly lesser duty of care. This is because you no longer offer a mutual benefit as an invitee; you are at the facility for your own purpose. Those who are offered the least amount of care are trespassers. Trespassers are those who enter the property illegally or without the permission of the property owner, and most of the time, property owners are not liable for their injuries.
An experienced Bakersfield lawyer can help you determine the proper party to sue. You may be entitled to various forms of compensation when you move forward with a lawsuit, including:
- Coverage of both past and future medical expenses (surgery, hospitalization, medication, and physical therapy).
- Reimbursement of both past and future missed wages from work (due to missing hours because of your injury, recovery time, or further medical procedures).
- Property damage (for any belongings that were damaged or lost in the incident).
- Pain and Suffering (emotional damages, mental stress, psychological issues, fear, anxiety, PTSD).
Don’t let an automatic door injury prevent you from being compensated. The responsible entity should be liable for your damages, and an expert Bakersfield attorney can assist you.
Represented by Normandie
Normandie Law Firm is the perfect choice for legal representation in the case of an automatic door injury lawsuit. We have dealt with many similar cases and know the law inside and out. Our qualified attorneys are willing to fight for your rights as a victim and will do whatever is necessary to bring you a fair settlement. We will go all the way to court if we need to and we won’t stop until you receive compensation you’re satisfied with. Although we are aggressive towards insurance companies and in chasing your fair restitution, we are empathetic with our clients and know these injuries take a heavy toll. Our goal is to preserve your health, happiness, and financial standing.
Call our Bakersfield law firm today for a free legal consultation. One of our attorneys will give you all the advice you need as well as answer any questions you may have. We believe all of our clients should be adequately informed before moving forward with legal action, and we hold transparency as a value at our law firm.
All of our clients are given zero fee guarantees on their claims. This means you do not pay any fees for our services throughout the litigation process. If we win your case, our payment comes from the settlement we’ve earned for you, not from your savings. This is done to make sure you experience no economic loss by seeking legal representation. Further, if we lose, you don’t owe us a dollar.
Contact Normandie Law Firm today for more information on filing an automatic door injury claim.
