The last thing people should have to be worried about while traveling is becoming seriously injured due to negligent property owners. Unfortunately, hotel accidents do occur and many times result in catastrophic or life-threatening injuries. If you’ve been injured in an accident caused by a negligent hotel owner, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, emotional distress, and other damages.
Getting injured in a hotel accident can be a traumatizing experience that results in lasting physical injuries and mental distress. Victims can hold the negligent hotel owner or manager accountable by pursuing a personal injury lawsuit or insurance claim. Contact the personal injury attorneys at Rochelle McCullough to schedule an initial consultation and learn more about your legal options.
Common Types of Hotel Injuries
When hotel owners fail to maintain their properties and keep them safe for guests, guests can become seriously injured. Keeping hotels, resorts, and other vacation properties safe for guests and customers requires property owners to carry out the following responsibilities:
- Inspecting and maintaining the property
- Securing the property
- Following local, state, and federal safety regulations
- Following fire safety regulations
- Warning guests about potential hazards such as shallow pools, wet floors, and broken elevators
- Training staff on pool safety and keeping pools fenced and in working condition
- Preventing and containing infestations
- Take reasonable care when hiring hotel staff
- Properly maintaining hotel stairs and elevators
- Properly maintaining hotel room locks and doors
When property owners fail to carry out these responsibilities with diligence and dedication, guests can suffer injuries that result in physical, emotional, and financial suffering. Many different types of accidents can cause hotel guests injuries. Some of the most common accidents that occur on hotel or motel property include the following:
- Swimming and diving accidents
- Injuries caused by broken, defective, or damaged furniture
- Burns caused by fires or electrical accidents
- Slip, trip, or fall injuries
- Food poisoning
- Stair and elevator injuries
- Injuries caused by bed bugs and other infestations
- Parking lot accidents
- Negligent security that results in injuries from violent crimes
Hotels Owners Owe Their Guests a Duty of Care
If you decide to sue a hotel for the injuries you’ve suffered, you will need to provide evidence proving that the hotel owner or staff caused your injuries. Hotel injury lawsuits are classified as premises liability claims. Property owners are legally responsible for ensuring that their premises are reasonably safe to prevent injuries to guests and customers.
If you were a guest at the hotel or were invited to the hotel by a guest, the hotel owes you a more significant duty of care to protect you from dangerous accidents. However, suppose you did not have permission to enter the premises. In that case, the hotel owners and staff owe you minimal duties to protect your safety.
Proving Liability in a Hotel Injury Case
Proving negligence involves showing that the hotel owner breached his or her duty of care to the guests by acting negligently or recklessly. You also need to prove that the hotel owner’s breach of duty of care caused the accident that resulted in your injuries. Hotel owners are required to inspect their property and maintain it. If they identify a dangerous condition that could injure guests, they are responsible for protecting guests from that condition.
For example, if there is a problem with the water heater that is causing the scalding water to come out of the shower heads, they have a duty to warn the guests so the guests don’t suffer burns from the scalding water. Suppose the property owner didn’t know about a dangerous condition on their property, but a reasonable person should have known about the dangerous condition. In that case, victims can still hold them liable for their resulting injuries.
Vicarious Liability in Hotel Injury Cases
Victims can hold hotel owners and employees liable when they breach their duty of care under the law. When a guest is injured on the premises, he or she has every right to pursue a lawsuit against the hotel, motel, or resort. Depending on the facts of the case, one or more parties may be liable for the guest’s injuries. Suppose a negligent employee was working as a lifeguard at the hotel. The lifeguard failed to pay attention to the guests in the pool. As a result, a child drowned in the pool.
The child’s family members may be able to hold the hotel vicariously liable for the employee’s negligence. Employers can be held liable for their employee’s negligent actions or inactions if they occurred during the scope of employment. As a result, hotel owners may be liable even if they weren’t aware of their employee’s misconduct or didn’t have direct supervision over the employee when the accident occurred.
Pursuing Compensation Through a Premises Liability Lawsuit
If you become injured at a hotel or motel, it’s important that you contact hotel management about your injury. Doing so will help you prove that they knew about the accident. When speaking to the hotel manager, ask for their insurance provider and medical assistance. After you’ve received medical treatment, you should reach out to an attorney who can help you protect important evidence in your case.
By pursuing a premises liability lawsuit, you may recover compensation for your current and future medical bills, lost future income, and the pain and suffering, even dirt, for your injuries. The attorneys at Rochelle McCullough have the professional network necessary to work with experts and carefully estimate your damages to pursue the full and fair compensation you need and deserve.
Discuss Your Case with an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
You will benefit from working with a skilled attorney if you or your loved one have suffered injuries from a hotel, motel, or resort accident. At Rochelle McCullough, our personal injury attorneys are prepared to pursue your right to compensation for medical expenses and other damages. We will walk you through the process of recovering compensation, answering any questions you have, and keeping you updated about your case. When you work with our experienced personal injury attorneys, you will not need to pay legal fees and costs until we successfully obtain compensation for you. Contact Rochelle McCullough to learn more.