The Minnesota Zoo is an exhilarating and educational attraction. Its immersive trail system is a particularly powerful draw. It’s no wonder, then, that it pulls in well over a million visitors a year, about three times the population of Minneapolis.
With that many visitors, a certain number of injuries is inevitable. If you believe you might have a personal injury claim, what you do after the accident is critically important.
What To Do After the Accident
You can drastically improve the health of your potential claim by making the right moves after an accident:
- Seek medical attention. Your health is the top priority. Seek medical attention if you suffered any impact at all, even if you don’t think you are injured. You need to establish a link between the accident and your injuries.
- Report the incident to the appropriate authority: Notify a zoo employee or security guard as soon as possible. Tell them exactly what happened and ask them to prepare a report.
- Gather evidence: Take photos or videos of the scene, your injuries, and any dangerous condition that might have caused your accident—a wet surface, for example. Get a copy of the accident report.
- Obtain contact information from any witnesses. Your lawyer can interview them later.
- Document the aftermath: Keep a daily record of your medical treatment, expenses, your physical pain, and any impact your injury has on your life.
- Talk to a personal injury lawyer: Legal advice can be critical to avoid mistakes that might damage your claim.
- Keep all of your documentation (medical bills, letters, emails, etc.) in an easily accessible location.
- Exercise patience. Don’t accept the insurance company’s first offer, as it will almost certainly be far too low.
Talk to your lawyer for further advice on how to handle the aftermath of your accident.
How To Get To Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys From The Minnesota Zoo
Legal Issues
No matter how just your claim might be, you need to get your law right to have any chance of winning, either in court or at the settlement table. If you are a zoo employee, file a workers’ compensation claim if you can. The advice below applies primarily to guests.
Vicarious Liability for Employers
Employers act through their employees. That means that the Minnesota Zoo acts through zoo staff. If a zoo staff member caused your accident by acting within the scope of their employment, you can file a lawsuit against the zoo. You can also use the threat of a lawsuit to negotiate a settlement with the zoo.
Premises Liability
Premises liability might apply if you suffered an injury due to a dangerous condition on zoo property. Under the doctrine of premises liability, the owner of real property (land and buildings) has an obligation to keep the premises safe for guests.
They must inspect the property periodically and either repair or warn of any dangerous conditions. If the zoo’s failure to do so causes you to suffer an injury, you can file a negligence claim against them.
Suing the Minnesota Zoo
Filing a personal injury claim against the Minnesota Zoo might not be the right move for you. If you suffered a car accident in the parking lot, for example, your injuries might not be the zoo’s fault. However, if you have good reason to believe your accident was the zoo’s fault, you can file a claim against them.
Keep in mind, however, that the Minnesota Zoo is one of only a handful of government-owned zoos in the United States. Suing a division of the Minnesota state government requires you to comply with special rules.
An Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help You
The mere fact that you’re going to have to file a claim against a government entity is reason enough to hire a lawyer for your claim in most situations. An experienced personal injury lawyer can handle negotiations for you and guide you through the claims process.
Neighborhoods We Serve
Loring Park, North Loop, Minnehaha, Downtown east, Lynnhurst, Dinkytown, King Field, Lowry Hill, Calhoun Isles, Nokomis, Southwest Minneapolis, Como, Kenwood, West Seventh-Fort Road, Prospect Park, Stevens Square, Lowry Hill East, Northeast Minneapolis, Linden hills, Downtown West, Camden, Uptown, Armatage, Bryn Mawr, Fulton, South Uptown, Powderhorn, Longfellow, Midtown Phillips, Mill District, Diamond Lake, Ericsson, Waite Park, St.Anthony West, Central Minneapolis, Whittier, Near North, Marcy-Holmes, Cedar-Riverside, Downtown-Central Minneapolis, Summit Hill, Elliot Park, Lyndale, Keewaydin, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Phillips, Ventura Village, Kenny, St.Anthony East, Columbia Park, Audubon Park
Contact the Minnesota Personal Injury Law Firm of Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys For Help Today
For more information, please contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys to schedule a free initial consultation today. We have three convenient locations in Minnesota, including Minneapolis, St. Cloud, and Edina.
We proudly serve Hennepin County, Stearns County, and its surrounding areas:
Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys – Minneapolis
825 Nicollet Mall, Suite 615
Minneapolis, MN 55402
(800) 292-1979
Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 44.97514068188609, -93.27349979814521
Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys – St. Cloud
1010 W St Germain St # 320
St Cloud, MN 56301
(320) 255-1000
Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 45.55903612908877, -94.16420517306956
Hall Law Personal Injury Attorneys – Edina
5200 Willson Rd #203
Edina, MN 55424
(952) 697-5560
Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 44.90963991439301, -93.34937342327198