Can I Sue if I Get Injured at a Haunted House?

Author: Auger Law | October 3rd, 2016

You turn the corner and run face-first into the undead. You walk down a hallway and get poked by a boney finger. One more turn and you see nothing but blackness stretching before you. You knew haunted houses were supposed to make your blood pulse and your heart race, but this is too much. You turn to leave and try to go out the way you came in. Unfortunately, a masked chainsaw-wielding monster jumps in front of you and fall, injury yourself when you hit the ground.

Is the haunted house liable for your injuries?

There have been several instances in which people attempted to sue haunted houses for being too scary. Those people lost in all but five cases. It is generally understood that when you walk into a haunted house, you will be scared. You can’t complain when it happens. Further, you usually will sign a waiver before taking part in the frightening fun. That document absolves haunted houses of most — but not all — liability.

In a 1996 case, a small girl was frightened by the appearance of a character in a haunted house. Her fright caused her to run into a cinder block wall that she didn’t see because it was covered by a black piece of fabric. The court denied her right to any compensation, ruling that patrons in a haunted house “are expected to be surprised, startled and scared by exhibits but the operator does not have a duty to guard against patrons reacting in bizarre, frightened and unpredictable ways.”

Haunted house operators do have a duty to protect their patrons from unreasonable hazards. What does this mean to you?

If you are startled by a zombie, run and fall, the blame lies on your shoulders. If, on the other hand, you are walking through a haunted house and slip and fall on a wet floor or trip over a cord running across a walkway, you may be able to seek compensation. Each case of injury in a haunted house is different. It is recommended that you contact an attorney if you are injured in one of these houses of horrors.

If you or a loved one has sustained a personal injury in Charlotte, in a haunted house or elsewhere, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Call our office today and schedule your appointment for a free case evaluation. We will review the details of your injury and advise you whether or not you are able to seek remedy for your damages.