By: Whatever your political views may be, Donald Trump has people talking. One of the many topics of conversation is the violence that has been erupting from Trump rallies across the nation from California to Chicago. Protestors have thrown rocks at Trump supporters, riots have ensued, supporters and protestors alike have engaged in physical violence, racially charged dialogue has been exchanged, and more. In recent months, several people have been seriously injured at a Trump rally. The question is: do these injured folks have any legal recourse?
At his most recent rally in Anaheim on May 25, 2016, Donald Trump said, “The safest place to be in our country is a Trump rally.” While no one at the Anaheim rally was reported as being injured, many others across the nation would disagree with Mr. Trump’s statement. Just yesterday, KTLA Channel 5 News broadcasted rally protestors in New Mexico who were in an uproar, hurling rocks at Trump supporters in an effort to show their distaste for the candidate and any of his supporters.
As a rule of thumb, a person who is injured due to the fault of another can seek compensation for the cost of medical treatment, any future medical care that may be necessary, personal property damage, pain and suffering, and other types of harm.
While it may seem somewhat unconventional to think of personal injury in the context of a political rally, this is a very real phenomenon, thanks to emotionally charged behavior of recent months. The question in the context of being injured at a Trump Rally, though, is who does the injured person seek compensation from? Donald Trump? His campaign? The company handling his security? The answer could very well be: all of the above.
An injured person certainly would have a claim against the individual who directly caused injury to him or her. But, an injured person may also have a claim against Donald Trump directly to the extent that he consciously incites violence at his rallies (and many argue that he does), or if Mr. Trump is aware of the risk of injury and fails to take the steps necessary to keep those attending his rallies safe. Mr. Trump or his campaign could also be liable to an injured person if the entity providing security was negligently selected or supervised, such as if Mr. Trump or his campaign administrators knew that the security company had a prior history of providing poor security services, or if Mr. Trump and his campaign negligently instructed the security company as to how to do their job.
Those same rules would apply to the entity providing security. Any such entity could be liable if it had unreasonable gaps in its plan for security such as if it failed to provide enough personnel, or failed to provide training and education to its employees.
Thus far, there is at least one lawsuit filed against Mr. Trump and his campaign arising out of injuries sustained at a Kentucky rally back in March 2016. And, this is unlikely to be the last if this pattern of behavior continues. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/lawsuit-filed-against-trump-over-violence-kentucky-rally-n548896
While no one knows if Mr. Trump will earn his seat in the oval office in 2017, if the violence at his rallies continues, Mr. Trump will surely earn a front row seat to a host of lawsuits.
If you have been injured, and you wish to hold the person or entity who injured you responsible, and to seek compensation for your injuries, you should consult a qualified attorney who can help you navigate your legal claim, and to ensure that you receive the highest degree of justice.
The Roberts Law Firm is a growing, caring personal injury law firm in Newport Beach, California. The attorneys and staff at the Roberts Law firm focus on providing quality, personal representation to each client. For more information please contact one of the Roberts Law Firm’s knowledgeable staff at (949) 719-6885, or visit the website at www.robertslawfirm.net.