Is The Hotel At Fault For Guest Injuries?

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Summer months not only bring warm weather, but more families staying in hotels while on vacation. Unfortunately, some injuries will occur. If you feel the hotel should have to foot the bill for your injuries, here is what you need to prove in your case. 

Defining The Hotel's Responsibility

A big part of any personal injury case is defining the responsibility of the defendant. When an injury occurs in a hotel and you plan to hold it responsible, you have to prove that the hotel had some responsibility to prevent your injury. Legally, the hotel does have some responsibilities to guests. 

For instance, the hotel is responsible for cleaning the rooms and areas frequented by guests. If you slipped in a newly cleaned hotel room, you could argue that the hotel should pay for your injuries because the cleaning staff had a responsibility to properly clean the room. The hotel is also responsible for making repairs in a timely manner. If you tripped over flooring in the lobby of the hotel and injured yourself, your personal injury lawyer could claim the hotel is responsible because staff should have fixed the flooring. 

Proving The Hotel Is Responsible for Your Injury

There are some instances in which the hotel is not responsible for injuries even though if they occurred on the property. Hotels cannot control every aspect of what happens on the property, and the law recognizes this. For instance, if you trip and fall because a young guest stuck his or her foot in your way, the hotel is most likely not responsible for your injuries. You might have to pursue damages from the guest's parents instead. 

In some instances, even if the hotel is responsible, there are some situations in which it is not liable. As part of proving that the hotel is at fault, you have to also show that the hotel had enough time to remedy the situation that led to your injury. For instance, was the staff aware of the flooring issue in the lobby and did they have enough time to get it repaired before you were injured? The hotel could argue that it did not have ample time to make repairs and you could possibly lose your case. 

Filing a claim against a hotel is complicated by a number of factors, including whether or not the hotel is really at-fault for your injuries. However, professional personal injury attorney can help you prove that the hotel is responsible if it truly was. 

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