Someone Injured At Your Wedding? 5 Reasons You Need An Attorney
Weddings are meant to be celebrations of love with your closest friends and family. However, accidents can happen at any time and anywhere. What if one happens at your wedding and someone is injured? Do you need an attorney? The answer is probably yes. Why? Here are a few reasons that you and your new spouse may need your own lawyer.
1. There Can Be Multiple Liable Parties
At a wedding, there are generally three main parties who could be liable for an accident or injury. These are the wedding venue, the individual themselves, and whoever is hosting. So, even if the injury was a slip-and-fall on the dance floor, you can't assume that the venue is the only party that may be held liable.
2. You May Have Insurance
Did you purchase specialty insurance for the wedding? Start by checking its wording — both inclusions and exclusions — to see what it covers. Hopefully, this provides much or all the protection you need as hosts.
However, you may have other sources of insurance coverage. A backyard wedding may be covered in part by your homeowners insurance. A wedding at a public location like a park may be covered by the city or county's insurance. But you'll need to know where to look.
3. You Could Be Sued
Most personal injury claims are against insurance carriers. This is, after all, what insurance is for. However, don't assume that insurance will cover the entire problem.
Injured parties can sue individuals if their costs exceed insurance policy limits. And if the accident isn't covered by any insurance, the person may have no choice but to seek damages from you and/or anyone else who may be liable.
4. Attorneys Are Go-Betweens
Any time an accident occurs when a person is with friends and family, emotional and personal relationships complicate matters.
Friends often find that using a legal professional as a go-between makes things less complex. This emphasizes that the injured party isn't your opponent, but that they are just seeking compensation from insurance. Lawyers can also help de-escalate discussions, avoid the blame game, and keep things progressing.
5. The Venue Can Fight You
Wedding venues generally have insurance to cover their potential liability. However, they are motivated not to use it if they can transfer liability to another party. Unfortunately, you are the likely target. The venue may claim that any waivers you signed make you liable rather than them. They will have their own lawyers, so you need yours.
Where to Start
No matter what the reason that someone was hurt at your wedding, start protecting yourself by meeting with an experienced personal injury attorney in your state today. For more information, contact a personal injury attorney near you.