Need a lawyer to handle a negligent case at a wedding reception?

Question

At our recent wedding reception, the power went out, we had no A/C, lights, music, etc. People couldn't see to eat, to find the bathroom, to walk around, etc. I need to find a lawyer who specializes in these type of cases. Can anyone tell me what kind of lawyer would handle a case like this?

Thank you!

Answer 1

Since they did provide you some services such as food the facility itself you probably won't recoup your entire cost. the cost of a lawyer versus what you'll get $$$ wise is an important consideration to take into account when makiing this decision. You should approach management and perhaps dicuss mediation . You should also discuss it with a lawyer and it is a civil not a criminal matter. It sounds like they responded very poorly to the situation. I'd expect at least candles, lanterns and an attempt to get a generator for minimal lighting. It is very warm in FLA. this time of year so I imagine you and the guests were uncomfortable too. But do keep in mind that most companies when dealing with a "negative" situation will deal with  it as little as possible to reduce any percieved liability. Plus they want to keep your $$$.

Answer 2

First off, was the power out due to negligence, or act of God? Most of the time power outages are outside the control of the customer. First off I'd check with the power company to see if there was a general outage at that time. If so, you have no case. I'm sorry your reception was ruined, but seriously, why are you assuming negligence? If I were you, I'd ask for a refund for the hall rental, but don't run to the lawyers unless there was actually something they could have done.

But if you insist on going to a lawyer, any that deal with corporate law should be able to help you. Just remember that any action he takes will cost you money, even if there's no hope of winning.

Answer 3

Hi.  Oh my.  I am so sorry.

I don't know who you should call, but instead of putting this in the wedding section, why don't you flip this question into the legal section.  Someone there will probably be better able to steer you in the right direction.

Good luck to you!

Answer 4

Well first off, you forgot some pretty important info. Such as, why did the power go out....a thunder storm, too many things plugged into the outlets, did the city block go out of electricity or just this facility. I mean, if it is something out of control of the reception hall I would say you are out of luck. However, if it was due to something they did you would need to not only prove it, but also be able show it was due to negligence. For example, if they have 4 previous weddings where the electricity went out and they failed to ever call an electrician, that might be negligent. But if it were due to a thunder storm or the city grid went out for whatever the reason, then I would say you are just out of luck. I would hope the facility would want to discount the bill or something. But they don't have to, I guess it would be dependent on the circumstances. How long was it out...10 mins, 30mins 5 hrs ...what. Shame your wedding did not go as planned, but they rarely do. It will probably be memorable, the important thing is you got married to the one you love, and nothing can take that away. If it was not something directly foul going on, I would not dirty up the memory of your wedding by trying to sue, that will only leave bad memories. Life has a funny way of happening, you need to make lemonade when given lemons.

Answer 5

If the power was out because of lightning, I don't think you could win a court case. That would be circumstances beyond their control.

Answer 6

Was there a power outage from something that happened in the neighborhood or was there really bad weather during or right before your reception?  If not, could you tell us what the reason was for the power being out?  It would give us a better idea of what to look for and how to help.

I would do a search of lawyers that handle negligence in your area.  I think the best you will be able to get is a refund for part of the money you had to pay.  If the power was on in other areas of the country club, then they should have moved you to another room or offered something to fix the problem.  I am so sorry you had to endure this on the biggest day of your life.  That's terrible that didn't seem to be bothered by the power being out!  You might want to talk to the manager or management company (if you haven't already) before talking to a lawyer.  Reception places hate to not get good referrals since their business is usually based on this.  Hopefully you can get this worked out.