Hotel Injuries: What You Need to Know About Filing a Claim

A serious injury can happen anywhere. You can be injured while walking down a flight of stairs, drinking coffee that is too hot, or swimming in a pool. While these injuries may seem like they have nothing in common, there is one place where you could be injured in all of these ways — a hotel.

Hotels are more dangerous than most people realize. Almost every hotel has:

• Parking lots or parking garages
• Restaurants
• Stairs or escalators
• Elevators
• Swimming pools or spas
• Exercise rooms
• Bars or alcohol
• Bathrooms

These are all locations where you could be injured by carelessness or negligence. Any accident could potentially be the fault of hotel staff or policies that aren’t properly protecting the health of customers.

If you have been injured in a hotel, never assume that it was merely an accident that could have happened to anyone. Contact a Morgan & Morgan injury attorney to learn how to sue a hotel for injury. Our attorneys will ensure that your rights are protected and you get compensation for your injuries. Contact us today for a free evaluation.

Types of Injuries

Because hotels have so many types of facilities and services, you are at risk of being injured in a variety of ways. Hotel policy is supposed to protect customers and hotel staff is supposed to follow that policy diligently. But all too often those policies or personnel fail and people are injured.

Slip and Fall Injuries

Slippery floors are particularly dangerous at hotels with pools. If the areas near a pool are not regularly mopped and dried, customers are likely to slip, injure an ankle, or break a bone. 

Any area of the hotel could be a danger, but tiled floors and areas near stairs are the riskiest. If you’ve slipped and fallen due to lax maintenance, a Morgan and Morgan attorney will advise you how to sue a hotel for injury.

Parking Lot Accidents

Because hotels make less money from their parking lots than they make from rooms, most hotel parking lots are cramped and may be difficult to navigate. If you get into an accident in a hotel parking lot, the hotel may be partially responsible for that accident due to the design of the parking lot. 

Your personal injury lawyer can help you determine which parties are liable.

Assault

You might think that if you are assaulted at or near a hotel, that is only the fault of whoever attacked you. But that might not be the case. If the hotel provided excessive alcohol to someone who was clearly drunk, it is partially responsible for you being attacked.

Similarly, if the hotel does not provide adequate lighting in secluded areas, it may be liable for an assault. If hotel staff are aware of dangerous areas and don’t provide adequate security or lighting, then the hotel is negligent. 

The lawyers at Morgan and Morgan know how to prove that a hotel failed in its obligation to protect customers. We can help you sue a hotel for injury resulting from a lack of security measures.

Food Poisoning

Between bars, restaurants, buffets, and room service, hotels offer a lot of food to patrons. If that food isn’t properly cooked or uses expired ingredients, you might get sick. 

A nasty case of food poisoning could send you to the hospital and keep you in bed for up to a week. You deserve compensation if food poisoning costs you medical bills or other damages.

Trip and Fall Accidents

Trip and fall accidents are similar to slip and fall accidents, except they result from something causing you to trip. Poor lighting, poorly designed areas, or equipment left in dangerous places can cause you to trip. 

There might even be tripping hazards in your room that catch you off guard because you aren’t familiar with the layout. If the hotel isn’t warning you of these hazards and trying to prevent them, you can sue for an injury.

Exercise Room Accidents

Hotels usually have a policy that you use any exercise equipment at your risk. However, that policy doesn’t protect the hotel if the equipment is inherently dangerous or not properly maintained. If you have been injured in a hotel exercise room, speak to a lawyer to determine how to sue a hotel for injury.

What Can I Do After a Hotel Injury?

There is one rule more important than any other after being injured at a hotel: Do not sign anything. Hotel personnel will likely try to get you to sign paperwork stating that the injury was not the fault of the hotel. You may even be offered money or credit in return for that signature. Never sign away your rights.

Instead, contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Your lawyer will advise you on what you can safely say and what, if anything, you can sign. Additionally, the sooner you speak with a lawyer, the sooner your lawyer can investigate the circumstances of your injury and collect the evidence needed to get you money.

The next step can be a little tricky. Assuming your injury doesn’t require you to spend time in a hospital or return home, you may find yourself still a resident of the hotel. If this is the case, you shouldn’t give any hint to hotel staff that you are considering suing the hotel. 

Instead, pay attention to how the hotel treats you for the remainder of your visit and document any actions that may be dangerous or inappropriate.

Staying Safe at a Hotel

While an injury may be the fault of the hotel, it is better to avoid getting injured than to get compensation later. Even when hotel staff or policy isn’t doing enough to protect you, a little bit of care can keep you safe at hotels. Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself:

• Avoid walking through areas of the hotel that don’t have adequate lighting
• Inspect your room for any tripping hazards and move furniture to make it safer
• Have staff remove the mini-bar from your room if you have children
• Make sure the bath or shower is safe to stand in and ask for a safety mat if it isn’t
• Learn where the fire exits are as soon as you arrive
• Bring a companion when visiting the exercise room, pool, or spa
• Pay close attention to any warning signs in the hotel
• Use your horn and lights liberally while driving around the parking lot or parking garage

If you are staying at a hotel, you are likely on a vacation of some sort. Getting injured can ruin a fun time in an instant. The preventative measures listed here can’t stop all accidents, but they can improve your chances of having a safe stay.

Do I Have to Sue a Hotel to Get Money After Being Injured?

Filing a lawsuit isn’t your only option after getting injured at a hotel. Often your lawyer will be able to negotiate a settlement offer with the hotel or the hotel’s insurance company. A fair settlement can get you the money you need quickly and should prevent any type of retaliation from the hotel.

Can I Sue for Damages if an Injury Ruined My Vacation?

If the hotel is responsible for an injury that forces you to abandon plans you have already paid for, you may be eligible for compensation for that lost money. 

This compensation would come in addition to any compensation for medical costs. Your lawyer will be able to tell you what damages you are eligible for and will include the damages as part of any lawsuit.

Where Can I Get More Information About How to Sue a Hotel for Injury?

Morgan and Morgan’s attorneys are highly experienced lawyers who know how to properly deal with hotel injury cases. If you need to know how to sue a hotel for injury-causing conditions, immediately contact our lawyers to get a free case evaluation. 

If we think you are eligible to get compensation, we will guide you through the process and fight to get you as much money as possible.

Additionally, we have offices throughout the country. This means that even if you aren’t at home when you are injured, you can speak with a lawyer face to face. Then, after you get home, you can continue to speak directly to attorneys in or near your hometown. 

This creates great peace of mind for our clients who have been injured in a hotel far away from home.

Can a Hotel Kick Me Out if I Sue It for an Injury?

Filing a lawsuit is a protected right, and a hotel that kicks you out after you file a lawsuit is taking illegal retaliatory action. However, just because it is illegal, that won’t necessarily stop the hotel. 

This is why you should wait to file a lawsuit until you have left the hotel. A delay of a few days won’t cost anything, and the last thing you want is to be out on the street in a strange city.

What Is a Common Mistake Made by People Who Have Been Injured at a Hotel?

One common mistake that potential clients make is to post about their injury on social media. Whether they are looking to vent to friends and family or just want to document the events of their life, posting on social media can be very costly. 

Opposing lawyers can use information from that post as evidence, especially if it suggests that the injury might not have been the fault of the hotel. Even a seemingly innocuous comment could cost you thousands of dollars in a lawsuit.

How to Sue a Hotel for Injury With Morgan & Morgan

It can be quite frightening to get injured when you are away from home. You are away from your support network of friends, family, or your doctor. You have to find a way to get medical treatment and transportation, all while not knowing how to pay for it. Our attorneys can help you with everything.

In addition to providing excellent legal services, we also provide resources that help our clients when they are suffering the most. We can get you in touch with the right doctors and services. We will try to win you money and do it quickly, but first, we will make sure you are safe and healthy. 

Get more information by contacting Morgan & Morgan today for your free case evaluation.