If you have been injured through negligence on the part of a hotel employee or because of poor management, you may be entitled to file a personal injury claim and recover damages in the form of a compensation payment.
Compensation claims can be quite a struggle as hotels, like many private property owners are reluctant to admit fault and their insurers are unlikely to make payments unless they are forced to. It is best to discuss legal options with an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as your injuries allow you to do so.
Common Slip Trip and Fall Hazards in a Hotel Setting
There are many possible slip, trip and fall hazards that can cause unexpected injuries in a hotel but these should be attended to promptly in a well run hotel. To take an example, if a hotel manager knows that the elevator that is necessary for most guests to use to get to their room tends to stop with a small step on to the floor outside then this should be dealt with, not ignored.
If a hotel guest trips over in the entrance way and cracks their skull, then that guest has good grounds to claim compensation for the injury as the hazard had been known about.
On the other hand, if a hotel guest slips over on a spilled cup of coffee while having a complimentary continental breakfast it may not be grounds for compensation because there was probably insufficient time for the hazard to have been spotted.
Most accidents are either caused by slippery floors or uneven floor surfaces, like the elevator example described above, but inadequate or faulty lighting is also a real danger, especially in confined places like staircases.
What Is Negligence?
In personal injury claims negligence refers to the failure of the business to maintain their premises safely so that their guests aren’t injured. When someone files a claim against a hotel they must prove that the hotel was negligent and failed to take action to prevent a foreseeable accident.
For example, if the hotel staff knew it was raining and they failed to put down a mat in the entryway of the hotel to soak up the water that people were tracking in on their shoes and someone slipped and feel because of that water the hotel was negligent and therefore liable for damages.
The hotel is responsible for creating a safe environment where people can walk freely and safely. Spills or other clean up hazards, not clearing ice and snow out of the parking lot, or not installing safety equipment in the hotel rooms like grab bars in the showers can make a hotel negligent when guests are injured.
In order to prove negligence on the part of the hotel a person filing a claim or damages will need photos showing that there was a hazard present that wasn’t addressed in a timely way by the hotel that could have contributed to a fall.
Photos of the area and videos are essential to making a claim against a company for negligence. Witness statements are also important pieces of evidence.
If the hotel has security cameras the security camera footage can also serve as evidence but in most cases there will only be security camera footage if the accident occurred in a public space like the lobby. There are no private security cameras in the guest rooms.
These cases demonstrate just a couple of the different types of accidents that can occur on a hotel property. There are all sorts of hazards that exist on a hotel property and if the company hasn’t taken proper care to maintain the property they can be found negligent if you are injured on the property.
Talk to a Competent Attorney About Your Slip and Fall PI Claim
Taking on a big hotel corporation and its insurer on your own is a tall order. Unless you have extensive legal experience it is wise to leave litigation to an experienced personal injury attorney. In most cases, you will be able to discuss the situation with an attorney for free and if the case is taken up, then legal fees are almost always deferred until a settlement is reached in your favor.
*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 Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
