Visitor Question

Injured in Mobile Home Park…

Submitted By: George (Belleville, Michigan, USA)

I live at a mobile home park and pay a lot of rent. My buddy that lives with me cut his foot really bad outside. He was cleaning up along the side of the trailer when he stepped on a piece of glass that cut his foot.

Can he sue me or does he sue the trailer park owners? It happened outside my trailer, not on the inside. What should he do? Thanks.

Disclaimer: Our response is not formal legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. It is generic legal information based on the very limited information provided. Do not rely upon the information in our response, or anywhere else on this site, when deciding the proper course of a legal matter. Always get a personalized case review from a local attorney.

Answer

Dear George,

To answer your questions properly it would be important to know if the area where your buddy cut his foot was located on the property you were leasing or owned. Normally with trailer parks the trailer is assigned a lot. If your buddy was cut within the dimensions of your assigned lot then technically he can sue you. He can also sue the trailer park owners.

Let’s talk about the reality of this event…

Unless your buddy’s cut was so severe as to cut a tendon or ligament, or in any other way adversely affected his ability to walk, whether permanently or temporarily, then worrying about any lawsuits is really unnecessary. From the facts you present we can surmise your friend’s injuries were not so severe as to require serious medical attention.

Lets then talk about what might happen if your buddy’s cut was less severe…

If your buddy suffered, lets say a cut which was severe enough to require stitches then he should be able to come to you and ask you to pay for his stitches, related medical bills, money he spent for medicine or bandages (called “out of pocket expenses”), and any lost wages he incurred while tending to his injury.

He can also go to the trailer park owners and ask them for the same. Under the law, when these types of injuries occur liability is called “collective and separate.”

The fancy legal term means you and the trailer park owners are both equally liable to pay you for the same costs.

Legally your buddy can collect the full amount twice; once from the trailer park owners and again from you.

If you have trailer park insurance you can give your buddy the name of the company and their phone number. He can then contact them. If the cut occurred on your property your insurance company should take care of the medical bills and other costs related to the injury. The same holds true for the trailer park owners.

If your buddy can’t collect from either of you he can file a lawsuit in Small Claims Court against you, the trailer park owners, both of you, or either of you.

If his medical bills and related costs are less than $5,000 dollars then he can take his case to Small Claims Court. The State of Michigan has a maximum Small Claims limit of $5,000 dollars. That amount can include your buddy’s medical bills, out of pocket expenses and any lost wages he might have incurred as a result of the injury.

Learn more here: Suing an Apartment Complex for Injuries

The above is general information. Laws change frequently, and across jurisdictions. You should get a personalized case evaluation from a licensed attorney.

Find a local attorney to give you a free case review here, or call 888-972-0892.

We wish you the best with your claim,

Published:

One comment on “Injured in Mobile Home Park…

  1. Anonymous says:

    What if the Mobile Home park is owned as a co-op by the homeowners, and the guest was uninvited?

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