According to reports out of California a Texas couple incurred serious injuries as a result of a fall in a national park. Ken and Linda Connelly of Richardson Texas were hiking in Sequoia National Park when they fell and were trapped on a mountain last Monday August 1. Linda suffered a broken leg and foot while Ken had major leg injuries. The couple was airlifted from the mountain.

Approximate Site of the Accident

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Commentary

One mishap can ruin an entire vacation. Luckily the couple was only injured. Reports indicate three months before this accident with the Connellys a Marine perished at the park. The Richardson couple note a lack of signage and warnings around the area they fell. That is interesting to me. A third party investigation would be needed to determine liability in the situation. This is because the law can be somewhat convoluted due to the accident happening on federal property. Often times federal institutions employ sovereign immunity from lawsuits but that is not always the case as some claims may proceed under the Federal Tort Claims Act. This is certainly dependent upon the investigation but to assume federal property is shielded from all claims would be inaccurate.

Texas Personal Injury Attorney Michael Grossman