Metaverse Injury Lawyer

1-800-Injured is a legal and medical referral network connecting victims with attorneys with experience with various cases, including car accidents, slip and fall accidents, wrongful death, and… Metaverse injuries? Yes, you read that right — virtual reality can lead to real-world injuries, and if you or a loved one gets injured while engaging with virtual reality using a VR device, such as the Meta Quest, we are here to connect you with experienced legal representation.

Take a look below to better understand how injuries caused by virtual reality environments can result in a real personal injury. Contact our team as soon as possible to connect with an attorney in your area for a free consultation. This is a new legal area, and you can be certain that insurance companies will be quick to find ways to pay victims as little as possible as they work to argue that your injury is a clear case of when a user misuses the VR device, whether or not your VR injury was a result of your own actions.

If a VR device caused you to suffer real injuries to your human body, you might deserve compensation. Contact us right away to connect with an attorney who is well-versed in tort law — especially Metaverse injury law.

How Do Virtual Reality Injuries Happen?

VR injuries have been common since the first virtual reality devices were introduced to the public. As organizations like Meta continue to push boundaries on what we understand is possible in a virtual reality environment, the chance of real injuries while interacting with a meta world will increase further, especially as VR headsets make their way into more American homes.

When a user immerses themselves in a virtual reality environment, it becomes easy to forget that the people and objects around them are not actually real — and that beyond the VR environment, real people and objects do exist. This can lead to a false sense of reality, and as a result, people may take risks they would never normally take in the real world. 

For example, you might see a virtual pinata and decide to break it open, forgetting that you are in your living room and that pinata is near a chandelier in real life. It might sound silly, but as technology continues to advance, the “reality” present in a Metaverse device will become more convincing and immersive.

Common VR Injuries

Many participants in the VR industry may overlook dangerous elements of their virtual reality devices during the manufacturing process. Safety regulations simply have not caught up to this industry whether or not the companies involved choose to emphasize safety in their products.

What kind of injuries can occur as a result of virtual reality? While the possibilities are endless, some of the more common VR injuries include:

Cuts and Bruises

If you walk into a wall or another object while wearing a VR headset, you can end up with cuts and bruises. In some cases, these VR injuries can be severe, especially if you are not paying attention to your surroundings and walking into a hard object at a high speed or falling through broken glass while wearing your VR device.

Concussions

A concussion is a type of brain injury that can occur if you receive a blow to the head. If you are moving around while wearing a VR headset and run into a wall or another object, you can sustain a concussion. Concussions can range from mild to severe and can cause symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. In some cases, concussions can lead to long-term problems such as memory loss, depression, and anxiety.

Sprains and Fractures

If you fall while wearing a VR headset, you can get a sprain or fracture. In some cases, these injuries can be serious and may require surgery to repair. A user may also suffer a sprain or fracture if they are swinging their arms or legs without realizing how close they are to a reall object. 

Broken Bones

One of the biggest issues with a VR headset or any other Metaverse device is that it is a sight-restricting headset that causes the user to deal with inhibited senses. That could lead to them making dangerous maneuvers that cause them to sustain injuries like broken bones if they slip and fall, or walk off of an elevated surface that they did not notice due to an intense VR game. 

Seizures

Some people with certain medical conditions can suffer a seizure if they are exposed to certain types of lights or patterns while wearing a VR headset. This is known as photosensitive epilepsy and can be triggered by the flashing lights that are sometimes used in virtual reality environments. While a seizure alone can cause issues, the victim could also fall and be at risk of a concussion or other injury, as well.

Other VR Injuries

Issues like a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) can also lead to expensive hospital bills and significant impacts on a victim’s ability to live a normal, pain-free life. While broken bones, lacerations, or concussions are more tangible, something like RSI caused by VR equipment or other Metaverse machines must also be taken seriously. An attorney will help you determine liability.

What To Do If You Are Injured in a Metaverse Environment While Wearing a VR Device

If you are injured in a virtual reality environment, the first thing you should do is remove the VR headset. Once you have removed the headset, assess your injuries and seek medical attention if necessary. If your injuries are serious, you should also contact an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your legal options.

Virtual reality is a new and emerging technology, and as such, the law is still catching up. However, if you are injured in a virtual reality environment, you may be able to bring a claim against the company that created the VR environment, the company that sold you the VR device, or both. For example, if you use a VR headset and suffer a concussion after running into a wall or falling from an elevated surface, you may be able to bring a claim against the company that created the VR environment for failing to warn you of the dangers of using their product.

If you have been injured in a virtual reality environment, the most important step after getting your injuries addressed by a medical professional is to connect with an experienced personal injury attorney to discuss your legal options.

This is a developing area of the law, and it is important to have an attorney on your side who is up-to-date on the latest legal developments.

Contact 1-800-Injured To Be Connected With a Personal Injury Law Firm For a Free Consultation

If a VR user misuses a VR device and causes an injury to themself, then it is likely that there is no legal case for compensation. However, it is in the liable party’s best interest to claim that misuse is the case in any instance instead of admitting that they failed to help a user avoid dangerous elements through VR settings or other safety mechanisms. 

Working with an experienced attorney to prove that the VR headsets or other devices were responsible for your injuries is important to ensure that you are treated fairly and receive adequate compensation. Most VR headsets are designed to convince the user that their human body is completely immersed in this virtual reality. When people engage in this hyperrealistic VR setting, there are many contributing factors to a serious accident that they may be entirely incapable of recognizing until it is too late.

Until safety regulations catch up to the inherent dangers of most VR headsets, users are risking serious VR injuries from something that may ultimately be simple to avoid. Whether through design, manufacturing process, or simple safety features that can help a user avoid dangerous elements of such an immersive experience. Regardless, the reality is that users deserve competent, aggressive legal representation following an injury caused or contributed by a VR device. 1-800-Injured can connect them with a lawyer to help fight for what they rightfully deserve. 

If you or a loved one has been hurt while using a VR device, contact us as soon as possible to be connected with a personal injury law firm for a free consultation where you can discuss your VR injuries.