College Campus Injury

Nevada college campus risk management and safety protocols

All colleges have departments dedicated to community members’ environmental safety. There are also processes to follow to report injuries on campus. We’ll provide links below to ten colleges in Nevada with risk management safety protocols:

1. University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
2. University of Nevada, Reno (UNR)
3. College of Southern Nevada (CSN)
4. Nevada State College (NSC)
5. Great Basin College (GBC)
6. Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC)
7. Western Nevada College (WNC)
8. Sierra Nevada College (SNC)
9. Roseman University of Health Sciences
10. Touro University Nevada

It’s a fact that accidents and injuries can still happen even though safety policies are in place. The types of harmful accidents that can occur include the following:

• Athletic injuries – Because colleges have intramural sports programs, it’s often wondered, “Do colleges pay for athletes’ injuries?” The general answer seems to be no because the NCAA created the term “student-athlete” so colleges could avoid paying for injuries. It was because students were expected to have personal health insurance either on their own (not likely) or through their parent’s health coverage. But if your injury is severe enough to be permanent, you should contact a personal injury lawyer right away to discuss your options.
• Criminal activity – This includes stalking, rape, murder, assault, robbery, and illegal drug usage. Campus crime is a serious threat to student safety.
• Hazing on campus and university liability – Many universities have fraternities and sororities with rules prohibiting the hazing of pledges to their organizations. Unfortunately, it still exists, and there are laws in place to hold universities accountable for catastrophic hazing events. 
• Slip and falls – These are among college campuses’ most common personal injuries. Causes of it could be uneven sidewalks, slippery pothole parking lots, or a faulty staircase.
• Auto accidents – On campus, these are common due to students being in unfamiliar territory or driving while distracted or under the influence. Contact a car accident lawyer in Las Vegas as soon as possible to find out your legal rights.

Other types of personal or catastrophic injuries can occur on campus. If you’re in doubt about whether your type of injury fits, contact our premise liability lawyers right away to discuss the details. We’d be happy to help you understand the personal injury legal process.

University liability and duty of care

Colleges and universities can be held liable if negligence is proven in a premises liability lawsuit. There are four elements to proving negligence:

1. Duty: The college has a duty of care to provide a safe environment
2. Breach of duty: The college did not act in a reasonable manner to prevent injury
3. Causation: An individual gets hurt and injured due to a breach of duty
4. Damages: The person who was injured is entitled to seek compensation

An experienced premises liability lawyer in Las Vegas can advise you on how these requirements apply to your case. This is why it’s best to contact a personal injury lawyer right away after an accident on campus occurs. Keep in mind, there is a two-year statute of limitations in Nevada to file a claim.

Who pays after an injury on college campus?

The college insurance company can be one source of compensation after an injury on campus. They may offer a lower amount than you deserve. It can be hard to fight them alone as they are better equipped to defend themselves against lawsuits and may not want to negotiate any settlement offer with you. We can hold a college accountable because we know all the complex laws involved in a Nevada premises liability case.

A college student can recover the following legal damages of monetary compensation:

• Compensatory includes economic and non-economic damages covering medical bills, loss of income, and pain and anguish
• Punitive damages are harder to award because proving how long a campus was aware of conditions that led to an accident or crime is more complex
• Other remedies may include legal orders to institute new policies to make the campus safer or improve upon existing conditions

How does a college defend a premises liability lawsuit?

As property owners, the college has ways to defend its culpability. They will want to assign blame to the plaintiff (the person who brings the lawsuit), citing they were not negligent. There are three factors to look at in tort law:

• Assumption of risk is when a student is aware of the risk but takes it anyway. If the college proves this element in court, the student would not be awarded compensation.
• Contributory negligence means the student caused the injury
• Comparative negligence means the student was partially to blame for the accident

It can be complex to prove these defenses, so you will want an experienced attorney to look at all the facts and evidence surrounding the incident to determine who is at fault.

College students injured on campus should know their rights

The key takeaway is that university students have the same rights as ordinary citizens to seek legal remedies through premises liability cases. We know that a campus injury can be life-altering. You might not know where to turn after a college campus injury, but knowing there is help for you when you need it may be comforting. Contacting a personal injury lawyer specializing in premise liability lawsuits is the first step in your recovery process. Take that step today.