Graduations are a special time that celebrates the accomplishments of a young student and the ability to further their education in the next level. Graduation for eighth graders can be an exciting as it means they are finally entering into high school, a long awaited time for many. Sadly, this past Wednesday night, a number of people were injured at a Santa Rosa eight-grade graduation ceremony when a section of the bleachers retracted. The ceremony was located at the Elma E. Barrera Elementary School in their gymnasium holding a number of parents and children celebrating their loved ones promotion into the high school grade levels.

According to Santa Rosa Police Officer Doug Montgomery, there was a malfunction in one of the bleacher sections which caused it to close on its own while people were sitting in it. At the time of the incident there were from 50 to 100 people on the bleachers, and while the majority of injuries were adults, there was one reported child injury though it was not life-threatening. Fortunately, the injuries are all deemed to be non-life threatening including most leg injuries such as fractures and bruises on the victim's legs. Reports say eight victims sustained injury and six of them were transported to the hospital for treatment. Investigators believe the cause of the accident was a result in an electrical shortage inside the bleachers which controlled its movements.

If you were a victim in this recent incident, you may want to consider contacting a trusted Santa Rosa personal injury lawyer to discuss filing a personal injury claim against those responsible for your injury. Depending on the situation, it may be a premises liability claim in which the property owner would be held responsible for the suffering which occurred on their site, or a product liability claim in which we would then hold the manufacturers responsible for the bleachers malfunction which leads to the injury. Contact The Law Office of Freeman & Freeman today to further discuss your claim or any other personal injury you may have experienced at the hands of a negligent individual or entity!