We’re often asked if you can bring a personal injury claim when you’re hurt at a private event, especially when the person who caused the injury was another guest. These situations are more common than you might think. For example, let’s say you got hit in the head by a drunk attendee at a wedding. Something like this could lead to serious facial fractures and nerve damage.

In cases like this, we start by determining whether the injury was accidental or intentional. If someone deliberately caused harm, the claim is ordinarily excluded from coverage under homeowners’ policies.  Therefore, there may be no realistic means to collect a judgment against the assailant unless he or she has significant personal assets.  Even if an assailant commits an intentional act, however, there could still be a negligence claim against the owner of the facility if, for example, they failed to provide adequate security leading to the assault or they overserved the assailant to the point he or she became intoxicated and dangerous.  Since such a claim would allege negligence rather than intentional conduct, it would most likely be covered by the owner’s homeowner’s policy.

We know these situations are painful and frustrating. Even if we can’t take your case, we’ll do our best to help you understand your rights and what steps you can take next.