Can I Sue A Hotel For An Injury?
When on vacation, one of the last things that you would want to experience is a personal injury. But if you do suffer an injury in your hotel room and the hotel was responsible for the injury, you may be able to claim that you deserve compensation for your personal injury.
Establishing Duty of Care
To hold the hotel responsible for your personal injuries, you will need to demonstrate that the hotel was responsible for an injury that you experienced in some way. If the hotel notices that there are dangerous conditions, it must take reasonable steps to correct these conditions. For example, if there is a leaky pipe that causes the ground to be slippery, the leaky pipe needs to be repaired as quickly as possible and steps must be taken to inform residents that the floor is dangerously wet.
Notifying the Hotel
If you notice dangerous conditions yourself, you should notify the hotel of these conditions. This will demonstrate that the hotel was aware of these conditions but did not take the necessary steps to rectify them.
Hotels and Crime
There are some cases where the hotel may or may not have a duty of care. For instance, hotels are normally not held liable for crimes committed in the hotel. One exception, though, is if the hotel is in a high crime area and would be expected to take steps to protect guests.
Establishing the Hotel's Responsibility for Your Injury
When the hotel has failed to keep the property safe, the hotel has engaged in a breach of duty. Then, the hotel will have needed to cause the guest an injury. The injury must then be connected with the conditions caused by the breach of duty. Returning to the leaking pipe example, the water must have caused you to slip, fall and hurt yourself. If your injury could not have been caused by the fall or if your fall was the result of something other than the hotel's breach of duty of care, you will be less likely to win a personal injury case against the hotel.
After you have sustained an injury, you will need to see a doctor. If you simply report that you suffered a painful injury, it will be more difficult to defend this claim in court. If you believe that you are not able to see a doctor because you cannot afford it, you should consult with a personal injury attorney who may be able to pay your medical bills ahead of time in anticipation of being reimbursed after you win.
For more information, contact Denali Law Group or a similar firm.