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I Was Injured in a Nightclub. What Should I Do?

Your childhood friends are in town and you haven’t seen them in ages. You have the perfect outfit, arranged for transportation so you can drink responsibly, and scoped out one of the hottest dance clubs in town. This will be a night to remember. But the evening does not go as planned. As you and your besties are having drinks by the bar, a fight breaks out. Without any warning, someone throws a barstool, hitting you in the head and knocking you to the floor. The crowd tramples over you as they flee from the fight. The next thing you know, you are lying in a hospital bed, your head searing with pain and your body covered with bruises, barely able to move. How could this happen? Who is responsible for this? What legal recourse do you have?

Your first instinct may be to hold the people who injured you responsible. If you are able to figure out who it was and if they have enough liability insurance to cover your damages, that may be an option. Another option is to hold the nightclub owner liable. The owner may be liable due to Florida’s premises liability laws. To hold them liable, you must prove:

• The owner had a legal obligation to protect their patrons or warn them of potential dangers at the nightclub.
• The incident causing the injury was foreseeable.
• The owner breached their duty of care to you by not preventing the fight, causing your injury.

Some of the ways that you attorney will build your case to prove this include:

• Reviewing security camera footage and interviewing witnesses
• Checking police records to see if there is a history of violence or fights at the club
• Evaluating if the club was overcrowded
• Determining if there was adequate security and if the bouncers responded to the threat appropriately
• Checking if the exits were clearly marked and if there was adequate lighting

If you are able to hold the nightclub owner liable, you can recover compensation for doctors’ bills, hospital bills, prescription medicine, X-rays or MRIs, rehabilitative therapy, nursing aides, medical supplies, lost wages and future lost wages. You also may be able to recover compensation for non-economic costs, such as pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and mental anguish.

The opposing party may try to avoid compensating you by claiming either that you were the aggressor in the situation or that you are exaggerating. However, your attorney can disprove these claims through video surveillance and eye witness accounts of the incident.

If you are injured in a nightclub through no fault of your own, call ECanter Lawyers right away. It’s essential that we begin gathering security camera footage before it is erased and interview witnesses while the incident is still fresh in their memory. Even if you are not sure whether you have a case, contact us for a free evaluation so you can learn your legal options.  

ECanter Lawyers

When you are dealing with the chaos and pain of accidents and personal injuries, the last thing you need is technical, confusing legal language.  ECanter Lawyers breaks down the complexities and provides clear, informative answers so that you understand your legal options. 

For a quarter of a century, ECanter Lawyers has remained committed to honest, straightforward answers.  Named one of AVVO’s Clients’ Choice, ECanter Lawyers has helped clients receive multi-million-dollar verdicts, and millions of dollars in settlements.  ECanter Lawyers specializes in personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, premises and product liability, and healthcare law.

With offices conveniently located throughout South Florida and 24/7 services, ECanter Lawyers personal injury law firm offers you the personalized attention that you need in order to maximize your compensation. 

ECanter Lawyers

561-447-4500

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