Hand through window

[emarshall]

I live in Indiana. My wife was on a college campus, studying for classes and she tried to open a window in the room she was studying in. The building is older, as a lot of campuses are, and her hand went through the window nicking her radial artery and several other lacerations that caused a lot of bleeding leading to an emergency room visit via ambulance. There were no signs posted signifying that windows were not to be opened. So now we are stuck with medical bills. Is the campus liable, how should I handle this? I can't afford all these bills.

 

[Antigone*]

I live in Indiana. My wife was on a college campus, studying for classes and she tried to open a window in the room she was studying in. The building is older, as a lot of campuses are, and her hand went through the window nicking her radial artery and several other lacerations that caused a lot of bleeding leading to an emergency room visit via ambulance. There were no signs posted signifying that windows were not to be opened. So now we are stuck with medical bills. Is the campus liable, how should I handle this? I can't afford all these bills.

Why on earth should they be liable because your wife put her hand through a window? What did the school do wrong?

 

[emarshall]

Well to push the window out, in order to open it, your hand should not go through the glass. If the glass is that fragile, maybe the windows should have been replaced or not in use.

 

[tranquility]

Two problems. One, when you say college campus, do you mean one owned by the state? If so, you have an immunity problem. (Not insurmountable, just another step.) Two, generally a land owner has the duty to make safe known, latent dangers; perhaps through warning. What was the problem with the window? What did the college know that wife did not which could have been prevented by a sign?

 

[TheGeekess]

Well to push the window out, in order to open it, your hand should not go through the glass. If the glass is that fragile, maybe the windows should have been replaced or not in use.

Um, yeah.

I don't think you've won the lawsuit lottery with this.

 

[Zigner]

Well to push the window out, in order to open it, your hand should not go through the glass. If the glass is that fragile, maybe the windows should have been replaced or not in use.

One shouldn't push on the glass to open the window.

 

[emarshall]

The college is not owned by the state, it is a private school. I'm guessing the only problem with the window was that it was old, and apparently not working correctly. So are you saying, that they could claim they didn't know it was dangerous, therefore they could not have prevented it? Would there even be a way to see if the University knew the windows has issues with age or something along those lines? I am not trying to sue or anything outrageous, I was just looking for help with the ambulance and ER bills.

 

[Zigner]

The college is not owned by the state, it is a private school. I'm guessing the only problem with the window was that it was old, and apparently not working correctly. So are you saying, that they could claim they didn't know it was dangerous, therefore they could not have prevented it? Would there even be a way to see if the University knew the windows has issues with age or something along those lines? I am not trying to sue or anything outrageous, I was just looking for help with the ambulance and ER bills.

One does not push on the glass to open a window. Your wife is at fault.

 

[emarshall]

Point taken that your shouldn't have pushed the glass. I understand that. We also know that coffee is hot, and people have sued for that. I am not even looking to sue at all. These bills are around $4,000, and I just wanted a little assistance. I'm just looking to approach the school and use a little reason, I'm not trying to muscle my way into lots of money or anything. Just thought some useful assistance would help, I'm not really looking for criticism.

 

[tranquility]

I'm guessing the only problem with the window was that it was old, and apparently not working correctly

Being a PERSON who is old, watch it sonny. There is nothing wrong with being old. What was not correct about the working?

So are you saying, that they could claim they didn't know it was dangerous, therefore they could not have prevented it?

Possibly. Another part of the duty of a person who invites others onto his property (in a business sense), is to make a reasonable inspection. Would a reasonable inspection have found the problem?

Would there even be a way to see if the University knew the windows has issues with age or something along those lines?

Search the interwebs and/or sue them and do discovery.

 

[Zigner]

Point taken that your shouldn't have pushed the glass. I understand that. We also know that coffee is hot, and people have sued for that. I am not even looking to sue at all. These bills are around $4,000, and I just wanted a little assistance. I'm just looking to approach the school and use a little reason, I'm not trying to muscle my way into lots of money or anything. Just thought some useful assistance would help, I'm not really looking for criticism.

It's asinine to even bring that up. You have no idea (apparently) of the facts behind that case because, if you did, you wouldn't even mention it.

 

[emarshall]

I am under the impression it was the type of window that cranks to open, but it wasn't opening with the crank, so she tried to crank and push it, resulting in her present situation. Your second point may be valid, and something I can work with a little. I'm just really not interested in suing, especially over this amount of money. I'm assuming something like mediation wouldn't go in my favor, so I may just have to email the Dean and see where it goes.

 

[emarshall]

It's asinine to even bring that up. You have no idea (apparently) of the facts behind that case because, if you did, you wouldn't even mention it.

Obviously I do not have legal expertise, otherwise I wouldn't have looked for help on this forum. It was more the broader picture, people have sued for crazier things. I'm not even looking to sue, I'm looking for a few thousand dollars. I'm also looking for help for areas where I lack, not looking to be ridiculed.

 

[emarshall]

Being a PERSON who is old, watch it sonny. There is nothing wrong with being old.

I appreciate all your help immensely. I also work with the elderly on a daily basis and meant nothing by that comment.

 

[emarshall]

Search the interwebs and/or sue them and do discovery.

What are the interwebs?