If you've gotten hurt while on staying at a Motel 6, or any other motel, it may not be just clumsiness or bad luck. Depending on your situation, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against the motel for compensation.
The idea of filing a claim may be daunting at first. However, if we break the process down into pieces, it actually becomes very simple.
What is a Personal Injury Claim?
In legal terms, a personal injury is not just “harm you’ve suffered”. Personal injury is harm you’ve suffered because of the actions of someone else.
When you are injured because of the oversights of another company or legal body, you may be eligible to file a personal injury claim.
Successful personal injury cases prove that the harm you suffered was directly caused by the actions of that company (in this case, the hotel).
However, this can sometimes be hard to prove — how can you tell if your injury was the result of the hotel’s oversight, by your own oversight, or some combination of the two?
The Importance of Negligence
In a slip and fall case at a Motel , the main goal is to prove that your pain was the direct result of negligence on the part of the hotel staff, management, or company.
Some examples of negligence on their part that could cause a slip and fall include:
- torn carpeting
- wet floors without proper signage
- poor lighting in and around stairwells or halls
- broken stairs or railings
- faulty equipment and facilities
- lack of maintenance
However, in some cases, it is negligence on the injured party’s end that contributed to the slip and fall. Some examples include:
- being distracted by a cellphone or other device
- failure to notice preventative signage
- failure to follow hotel rules
For example: let’s say you are staying at a motel, and you want get yourself a bucket of ice. As you turn the corner at the end of the hall, your foot snags on a lip of torn carpet and you fall, injuring your back.
In a case like this, you may be eligible to file a claim — because the hazard was not addressed by the motel's maintenance staff, and this directly resulted in your injury, you could argue negligence on their part.
However, if you were texting while walking to the machine, the argument could also be made that your own inability to mind the walkway resulted in the injury.
Considering a Consultation with an Attorney
Even if you’re unsure about the validity of your claim, personal injury attorneys can:
- take you step-by-step through the claim process
- simplify the legal language to help you visualize your options, such as taking a settlement or going to trial
- help determine if your case qualifies for a claim
If you believe that your slip and fall may qualify as a personal injury case, contact a personal injury attorney today.
*The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Motel 6, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
