Hookah smoking is only growing in popularity in Maryland. However, this does not come without risks. Our Maryland hookah injury lawyers have seen first-hand, time and time again, how dangerous hookahs can be. This is especially true at Maryland bars. Hookah can be a relaxing social activity that does not have to involve alcohol. Thus, it has grown in popularity as a more relaxing weeknight activity. However, as our clients tell us, the activity can be highly dangerous. For reasons we will explore, hookah is one of the biggest causes of liability for bars or hookah lounges that own the equipment. Our firm has handled countless hookah injuries in Maryland. So, we know how significant the injuries can be. Moreover, we have had tremendous success in recovering compensation for our clients.
Since our founding in 1954, we have represented thousands of personal injury victims in Maryland, recovering over $150,000,000 for our clients. Hookah injuries are unique because they can cause cuts, lacerations, and burns, but they can also cause internal injuries to your lungs. In these cases, we leverage our experience suing bars and nightclubs to hold the wrongdoers responsible. Then, we take a personalized approach to your case. We know that every hookah injury case is unique. Not only are the effects of the injury unique, but the way the injury happens can differ.
Moreover, some injury victims suffer psychological trauma because of their injuries. You may lose sleep and suffer from depression and anxiety. Moreover, because of your medical expenses, you may be unable to pay your bills. Fortunately, these are things our Maryland hookah injury lawyers have encountered before and know how to handle.
Hookah, also known as shisha or water pipe, is a smoking device that uses tobacco and water. Many young adults enjoy it because of the flavors available at hookah bars and hookah lounges. However, there are risks you should be aware of. First, you should understand that hookahs contain tobacco. Thus, there is a risk of nicotine addiction. This can lead to heart disease and cancer. Additionally, the risks of using smoking a hookah can lead to the types of hookah-related injuries we discuss below.
You also run the risk of infectious diseases. While this may be a compensable injury for which you can sue a hookah bar, proving causation may be difficult unless there is a public outbreak. While we can undoubtedly put you on the witness stand to testify that you believe you contracted an infection from the hookah lounge, we have a duty to convince a jury that it is more likely than not, or a preponderance of the evidence, that you contracted the infection from the defendant. The only two ways to do this are by sampling and lab-testing bacteria from the hookah equipment or a demonstrated outbreak from lounge customers.
There are countless ways to get injured by a hookah pipe. Here, we discuss the most common causes of action our Maryland hookah injury lawyers have pursued in our history of practicing injury law in Maryland.
A burn from a coal or hot surface can occur due to contact with coals. But of course, if you negligently touch a hot coal of your own volition, the hookah lounge likely is not legally responsible for this injury. Instead, a server or employee from the hookah lounge must have knocked the burning coal onto you while acting within the course and scope of their employment at the club. In other words, if the employee is off-duty and knocks hot coal onto you, the employer is not liable. Meanwhile, if a server negligently or carelessly bumps something over that causes hot coals to come into contact with your skin, you may suffer a nasty burn.
Our Maryland Maryland hookah injury lawyers represent clients with all manners of burns. Unsurprisingly, a hot coal from a hookah can quickly give you a third-degree burn. While we will not advise against going to hookah lounges, remaining vigilant at these bars is crucial. Any time there is alcohol involved, there is risk. That risk is exacerbated when there are also hot surfaces nearby.
A Maryland hookah injury lawyer can assist you in the claims process for cuts and lacerations from broken glass. In our decades of experience practicing injury law in Maryland, we have represented dozens of clients who have been injured by broken glass at a hookah lounge. Similar to a burn by a hot coal, the broken glass needs to have a causal relation to the bar. However, unlike the hot coals, the broken glass does not necessarily need to be caused by the lounge. A hookah lounge does have a legal duty to inspect for dangerous conditions like broken glass on a reasonable basis. Moreover, as soon as they are put on notice of the broken glass, they must clear the area and clean it up immediately. Failure to do so can cause severe injury to patrons and cause liability on the part of the hookah lounge.
Of course, if someone at the hookah lounge does knock the hookah pipe over and immediately cuts you, the lounge may not be liable for your injury. There is some inherent risk you implicitly agree to by going to the lounge and smoking from a hookah pipe. We can argue that the hookah pipe should be nailed to the table. However, this will likely be challenging, depending on the industry standard. Generally, the standard is to use either a magnet or a suction cup at the base of the hookah pipe or simply sand to weigh the pipe down to the table. Thus, liability rests with the person who knocked the pipe over and not the lounge in this scenario.
As a patron inside a hookah lounge, you have a reasonable expectation of safety. You can reasonably expect the hookah lounge to clean the mouthpieces to prevent infectious diseases. You can expect that the lounge will clean up any broken glass on a reasonable basis. If our Maryland hookah injury lawyers can establish liability against the lounge, we will seek maximum compensation for your injuries, whatever they may be. In these cases, the general formula for compensation is to cover your past and future medical expenses, your lost wages, and your pain related to the injury. While the extent of these elements varies depending on the nature of your injury, you can rest assured we will pursue the maximum you are entitled to under the law.
Accomplishing this requires that our Maryland hookah injury lawyers act quickly. If there is security footage, you should retain legal counsel promptly to preserve any evidence before it can be deleted. If you wait too long, the lounge may regain the right to delete the evidence. However, if we put the hookah lounge on notice of a pending lawsuit, they have a legal duty to preserve the footage. A failure to do so results in consequences for the lounge.
A Maryland hookah injury lawyer can help you get the money you deserve to cover your injuries. These are painful injuries, and you deserve compensation when you are hurt due to another party’s negligence. Furthermore, this act of recovering compensation can deter the bar from acting carelessly in the future.
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