Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, represents Louisville victims hurt in accidents at local events like the North American International Livestock Exposition. When venue owners and operators get careless with guest safety, we take on insurance adjusters and event organizers to secure the maximum in compensation available for victims and their families. Contact our Kentucky lawyers to schedule a free, confidential consultation. It’s a no-risk way to find out about every benefit available to you and how to secure the money you need to rebuild your life.
Should I Call a Lawyer After an Accident at an Exposition or Fair?
If you were attending the Livestock Exposition and an owner or organizer’s negligence left you with serious injuries, you should speak with a Louisville Event Venues Accident Lawyer. A lawyer may be able to secure much more for your recovery than you could alone. Representation is especially beneficial when insurance companies try to blame you for your accident or attempt to classify your serious injury as “minor.”
Your Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, representative stands up to major venue owners and operators and their corporate lawyers to guard you against their unfair tactics. Our lawyers fully investigate your accident and go over your medical diagnosis with doctors. Then we use this evidence to force insurance companies to provide the maximum in compensation available for you and your family.
Hazards at the North American International Livestock Exposition
Louisville has a rich legacy of livestock trading, buying, and selling. That tradition continues at the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) each year. It’s two weeks of rodeo excitement, livestock competition, and selling and purchasing. It’s the only purebred livestock exposition in the world and every participant is trying to secure a Bronze Bull Award.
The giant event, its unpredictable animals, and sometimes careless guests rank as an easy place to run into health hazards. People can be hurt during events, while walking upstairs, or even by a carelessly spilled drink left on the cement. Sometimes a fall or a run-in with an animal only results in some minor scratches or bruising. But a tumble down a flight of stairs or an impact caused by a 1,400lb farm animal could cause a major injury.
Ticketholders and guests at the expo can be hurt by these and other preventable hazards:
- Slip-and-Fall Dangers – With so many people in one place, there will be plenty of ice, liquids, and food ending up on the showroom floor. Victims can slip on a puddle or trip on a cable and land hurting a knee or fracturing a hip bone. Event workers must monitor for these sometimes quickly created hazards and remove them and post signs when floors are wet before attendees can get hurt. This is especially dangerous as people travel down steep walkways and steps to reach seats for the rodeo.
- Crowd Control Dangers – Dangerous accidents allowed to occur due to overcrowding. People exiting through tight corridors can be trampled, crushed, or suffocated when operators let crowds get out of control.
- Pedestrian Hazards – Guests forced to cross busy streets and parking lots to enter the Kentucky Exposition Center should be protected. Crosswalks must be safe and crossing guards must stop traffic if necessary to protect visitors.
- Parking Lot and Parking Decks Risks: Attendees must be protected while they are parking in lots and parking decks. They must not be exposed to broken pavement, potholes, or crumbling stairwells that could cause a fall. They must not be exposed to crime or personal injury hazards.
- Exposure to Animal Bacteria: An especially common hazard at the expo when exhibits put people in contact with food and livestock. This exposure can cause life-threatening illnesses if salmonella, E.coli, or Cryptosporidium are contracted.
- Trample Injuries: Animals on the loose could knock someone down, step on a victim, or kick someone.
- Other Louisville Livestock Expo Hazards –Victims can be hurt by equipment falling from overhead, including lights and speakers. Heavy machinery, tools, a forklift, or a gate could malfunction and cause a traumatic injury.
These frightening mishaps can cause things like broken bones, Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), and long-term neck and back injuries. Patients might need support to last months or years as they go through surgeries and injury rehabilitation while unable to work and earn a paycheck. Insurance companies can offer you far less than you need to cover 100% of your bills. Your Louisville Livestock Expo Accident Lawyer is your protection from being robbed of the compensation you need. Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, fights to make sure you can afford the care you need for as long as necessary.
Who Is Liable for My Injury While Attending NAILE?
Under Kentucky premises liability laws, venue owners and event organizers must show reasonable care to keep the guests they invite in safe from harm. It means the operators and vendors at the North American International Livestock Expo are liable if someone gets hurt in an accident that could have been prevented.
Event organizers and facility owners must make sure exhibit halls, stadiums, and vendors are free from dangerous hazards that could hurt someone. They are also fully liable for the dangerous actions of other ticketholders. Managers and employees must monitor for the spills and damage guests cause and clean the hazards up or repair them before another guest can come along and get hurt.
At big venues, there may be more than one party responsible for your accident. Your Louisville Attorney would be filing an accident claim with any individual, business, or government entity that played a role in your injury. The more insurance policies you can draw from, the better chance you have to secure full compensation for every medical bill you receive.
These are just a few of the at-fault parties that might have to contribute an injury settlement check:
- The Kentucky State Fair Board and the Commonwealth of Kentucky
- The NAILE Organizers
- Vendors and Exhibitors at the Expo
- Contractors and Sponsors at Event Venues
- Rodeo Organizers
Your Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, representative would hold each liable party fully responsible for your support for as long as your injury affected your life.
Can I Seek Help with My Medical Bills After an Expo Accident If I Signed a Waiver Form?
In many cases, yes. Waiver forms protect owners and operators from the normal, expected hazards when you attend a large event with a lot of people. But any hazard that leaves you injured and could have been removed or prevented usually leaves owners and organizers open to liability.
You sign a waiver when attending almost any ticketed event, even if you don’t realize it. The waiver may be part of a terms and conditions box you check. It may be printed on the back of a ticket, saying something like your purchase means you agree to waive liability.
Despite a waiver form, your lawyer will use powerful evidence to show that a venue was still liable and that the hazard that caused you harm went above what should be considered a normal and anticipated risk.
Compensation for Victims Hurt at the Louisville Livestock Expo
The more evidence you can collect showing that a venue owner or operator was to blame for your accident, the easier it will be to secure the support you need to rebuild your life.
The scene of your accident will be one of the best places to collect the proof you need. Call 911 if you are injured and also alert a manager or event staff immediately. Then, if you are left strong enough after your accident and the scene is secure, start gathering evidence.
You should take photos of the hazard or obstacle that caused your accident because it will likely be removed or repaired when your lawyer visits the scene. Get witness contact information.
Then, turn over your case to a skilled lawyer. Your lawyer will collect your evidence and continue the investigation. Once a case is backed with strong proof, it’s time to submit an injury claim. Your claim will include a full list of the hardships you’ve faced since your accident.
These and other factors will all help increase the size of the settlement check you receive:
- Totals on hospital bills and estimates on medical care expected to be needed in the future.
- Estimates on lifelong costs associated with a permanent physical disability like medical equipment, additional surgeries, and physical therapy. Career training could also be covered if a victim can’t return to their former career.
- Estimates for the long-term costs of permanent disfigurement or a scar. The costs of restorative and plastic surgery.
- Awards for the physical pain endured
- Awards for the emotional trauma endured. This includes the loss of enjoyment of life victims may experience. The loss of intimacy with a spouse or domestic partner should also earn compensation.
- Damage or destruction of personal property.
- Paychecks and benefits forfeited while a victim can’t work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my family earn support if a loved one is tragically killed at a Louisville show or expo?
Yes. Families are encouraged to file wrongful death claims against any event organizer or Kentucky department that contributed to a deadly accident. Families should receive help with funeral costs and support to pay the remaining medical invoices. Close relatives should also be able to count on support in the future.
How long can I wait to file an injury claim after an Expo accident?
In Kentucky, victims have up to one year from the date of the accident or one year from the date the injury is discovered to file a lawsuit. But victims should not wait. Acting quickly will mean evidence will be easier to gather and witnesses will be easier to locate.
What if I can’t afford to pay a Louisville personal injury lawyer to handle my case?
You won’t need any money to receive powerful representation from Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC. We don’t get paid unless your case is successful. Then our fee comes out of the money those at fault must pay you.
Contact a North American Livestock Exposition Accident Attorney
Contact Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, for an absolutely free consultation on your case. You’ll speak with a real lawyer the same day you call. It’s a confidential, no-stress opportunity to learn about every benefit available after you’ve been hurt at the Louisville Livestock Expo. We’ll go over what your case is worth before insurance companies try to convince you your case is worth nothing at all.
If you decide our Louisville Event Venue Accident Lawyers can help you get the most out of your injury, it won’t cost you anything to hire us. Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, charges no upfront fees to represent you. We only collect fees if we win your claim. Then, our attorney fees come out of the compensation insurance companies must pay you.
