What are my legal options if me or a family member was injured in a poorly maintained county park?

Getting injured in a poorly maintained county park is an unfortunate event. When this happens to you or your loved one, finding recourse is hard because county parks are technically government property. The main question that you probably have in mind is what your legal options are if you or a family member were injured in a poorly maintained county park?

Generally speaking, federal, state, and local governments are protected against personal injury claims provided by sovereign immunity. This means that if you get injured in a county park due to employee negligence for failing to maintain the county park, you cannot sue and get damages. But like everything else in the world of law, there are exceptions to the rule. In these cases, you can see and get your damages paid by the government.

Read along as we discuss in detail what you should do if you or a family member gets injured in a county park.

Finding negligence when you are injured in a poorly maintained county park

When you bring legal action to the county that owns the park, they are protected by sovereign immunity but that doesn’t mean this rule is absolute because there are exceptions to the rule. The first thing that you have to do is to contact a personal injury lawyer in the Orlando area. 

The main goal of your lawyer is to find negligence on the part of the government agency that is responsible for making sure the county park is maintained properly. There are some cases where the neglect is blatant and easy to detect but in most cases, finding neglect takes time and money. Your injury lawyer will have the time and resources to do this because this is basically what they do with their cases. 

Another important thing to remember is that when you go against a government agency for damages, there is a cap on how much they can payout. 

What to do when you or your family member gets injured in a poorly maintained county park?

Getting injured or seeing your family member gets injured in a poorly maintained county park can be a stressful event. Injuries can happen in a poorly maintained playground or if there’s broken equipment laying around. Broken roadways or sidewalks also present danger and can be a sign of a poorly maintained county park. 

The main goal of government agencies who are responsible for maintaining county parks is to protect the people who are using them and ensure their safety. In most cases, injuries that happen in county parks are due to neglect and improper maintenance. 

If you are unsure of what to do, follow the tips below to achieve peace of mind and lessen your stress levels.

1. Contact a personal injury lawyer in Orlando

Navigating the law system can be a tremendous task and you shouldn’t have to do this by yourself. Thankfully, there are personal injury lawyers in the Orlando area who can help you and be your advocate in stressful times like these. With their expertise, lawyers can develop and advise you on a course of action that needs to be taken in times like these. 

If your injury happened in a county park, there are limitations on the time review from when the injury happened. A personal injury lawyer can help you with this and make sure that proper research is done. 

Depending on the severity of the injury, you might incur medical expenses as well as lost wages if you are unable to work which further puts further stress on you. Finding guidance during this time is important so that you can focus on your recovery while letting your lawyer do the hard work. 

The very first thing that your lawyer will do is file a Notice of Claim to the appropriate county. There are time limits as to the deadline of filing this claim from the time of the incident so swift action should be taken. 

1. Document everything that happened

Writing down what happened is extremely beneficial so that you can paint a picture of what exactly happened. It is even better if you have a photo or video evidence that will support your case. Since it happened in a county park, there might be passers-by who witnessed the event happen. Taking down their contact information will also be beneficial to your case.

If you got injured in a poorly maintained county park, contact Jordan Law today!

A personal injury lawyer can take the burden off your shoulders and make sure that you get what is rightfully yours. Contact Jordan Law today in Orlando and let us become your advocate in this fight. Our team of professionals will ensure that your voice is heard especially if you are going against the county.