It can be an unnerving and painful experience getting injured in an unfamiliar place like the hotel you are staying in. You may not have been to blame. It may be that you slipped over on a wet floor that should not have been allowed to have been wet.
You may have tripped over a loose carpet or stumbled when you were negotiating a flight of stairs without proper lighting. Unexpected accidents can become expensive headaches and there is no reason why you should have to bear the burden of an injury that was not your fault.
Talk to an experienced personal injury attorney about your legal options.
Possible Injuries in a Hotel
It might seem ridiculous that your stay in a hotel for the night could end on a hospital bed. The chance of his happening is quite small as most hotel managers make sure that their facilities are hazard free. Most accidents that could occur in a hotel are of the slip-and-fall variety so all it takes is for the hotel management to make sure that floor surfaces are not too slippery and obstacles on the floor or the floor surface itself presents no danger to the guest using that area.
Lighting should be adequate so that corridors, rooms, staircases and reception areas can all be seen clearly enough. If there are elevators in the hotel building they should be regularly inspected and maintained. Faults and complaints should be investigated and followed up, as the owners of the hotel are liable for hazardous conditions.
Electrical sockets and appliances that are available in the hotel rooms should be checked regularly to make sure they are not in a dangerous condition.
Leaks in the bathroom area should be attended to so that water on the ground does not cause a guest to fall over and hurt themselves.
Common Hotel Injuries
There are certain areas of the hotel that are most likely to have hazardous conditions that can cause slip and falls and other accidents. The lobby is one of the most common places where people are injured because there is so much traffic in and out.
When it’s raining or snowing water gets tracked in all throughout the lobby and unless the hotel is vigilant about keeping the area mopped it can get very slippery. If the hotel doesn’t put down mats or take the time to keep the floors dry guests can easily slip and fall when they’re entering or leaving the lobby. Leaving luggage carts or other items in the path of guests can also cause accidents in the lobby.
The pool area is another location that can become hazardous. The pool apron can become slippery, pool ladders that aren’t kept in good repair and diving boards that aren’t in good condition can cause injury, and if the chemicals in the pool aren’t kept in balance the water can be hazardous to swim in.
There can also be other hazards in the water if the pool isn’t kept clean. The hotel has a duty to make sure that the pool area is clean, safe, and sanitary for all guests. Often hotel pools have a shower area and that shower area can be hazardous too if it doesn’t have textured cement or other safety features to keep guests from slipping.
Splash pads for kids should have rubber mats so that kids don’t fall on the concrete and hurt themselves. Damaged equipment or a lack of mats can make the hotel liable for a child’s injuries while using a splash pad.
But the most dangerous place in the hotel is the bathroom and shower area in the guest rooms. Hotel bathtubs can be extremely slippery and if the hotel hasn’t maintained the room properly and doesn’t have grab bars, grip pads, or other safety features in place it’s easy to slip and fall in the tub and become injured.
A Classic Case of Slip and Fall
In one case that was filed against the Embassy Suites by Hilton Houston Downtown, a consumer filed suit against the hotel because some of the staff caused him to slip and fall. This fall caused extensive and permanent injury after he fell on a marble floor.
In this case the consumer was holding a business event at the hotel and the catering staff that was serving the meal didn’t follow proper procedures or clear plates in a proper manner. The wait staff were using the main entrance to the room to enter and exit the room with plates and food instead of the staff entrance.
As a result the consumer slipped and fell on several piece of lettuce that had dropped off plates near the entrance to the room and were not cleaned up by the staff. The staff should not have been using the main entrance and should have immediately cleaned up any spills to prevent injuries to the guests.
Injured? A Lawyer Can Help
It’s unlikely that you would get fair compensation from a hotel’s insurer if you tried to negotiate a settlement all by yourself. Contact a personal injury attorney if you are sure that your injury was caused by negligence on the part of someone at the hotel.
The attorney can assess your chances of success if you decide to pursue a claim for compensation. If you have good grounds for legal action, then the attorney will negotiate much more skillfully on your behalf.
*Disclaimer:
The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Embassy Hotels, or another party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
Source: chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/California-man-lettuce-fall-Hilton-lawsuit-12903698.php
