If you were injured while ice skating at a rink in New York, then the owners or operators of that facility might be liable for your injuries and you may deserve financial compensation for your injuries and suffering. Liability and negligence can be difficult and complicated to prove, so you definitely want an experienced personal injury attorney on your side to examine the facts in your case and work to make sure your rights are protected. What it ultimately comes down to is if negligence was at play and if that negligence ultimately caused your injury.
Ice skating rinks in New York are a great, safe way to have fun all throughout the year, though especially in winter when the weather is perfect for skates and hot chocolate. There is always the potential for injuries while ice skating, especially due to a slip on the ice. In general, such accidents are just that: accidents and no one is likely to be liable for them. You know when you are on the ice that it is slippery and you should demonstrate caution.
If you have been injured due to something beyond just typical behavior at an ice rink, then it is possible that the owner of the rink did not behave properly to keep you and other customers safe. When considering a civil lawsuit, there are two conditions to keep in mind: negligence and liability. For a civil suit to be deemed legitimate, you need to prove that someone was negligent. That means that they were aware of a potentially dangerous situation and did not respond appropriately to fix the situation. For example, if you rented a pair of skates at the rink, and the owner knew the skates were not properly maintained, then they would be negligent.
In order for that negligence to be grounds for liability, however, you need to demonstrate that it caused the injury. In the previous example, if you rented skates that were not properly maintained, and they broke while you were skating, which caused you to injure yourself, then you have a clear pattern of negligence and liability. This is just one example, but it illustrates the type of situation in which a civil suit would be likely to award damages to an injured party.
If you have been injured at an ice skating rink, then we would like to talk to you. Call the experienced New York personal injury lawyers of Wingate, Russotti, Shapiro, Moses & Halperin, LLP today at (212) 986-7353 to discuss your case and talk about whether you have strong grounds for a civil suit.