How to Sue a Hotel for Injury

Every day across the United States, millions of Americans rely on hotels for lodging when they are traveling. Most hotels provide a safe and comfortable place for their customers to sleep for as many nights as they want. 

But what happens if you have been injured in a hotel due to dangerous conditions? Following an accident of this type, you may wonder how to sue a hotel for injury. 

Victims should not be stuck managing the personal and economic harm that results from a hotel injury they did not cause. Hotel owners have a legal duty to provide a reasonably safe environment for their customers. 

When a hotel chain or operator fails to fulfill this duty, it can be held legally liable for any damages that occur as a result. If you need to know how to sue a hotel for injury, make sure to speak with one of the skilled attorneys at the firm of Morgan and Morgan. 

Our accomplished legal team has the skills and knowledge to recover financial compensation for those injured in hotels. When you hire our firm, you will not pay anything unless we secure compensation for you. 

We know that injury victims experience a wide range of costs and expenses. That is why our friendly staff will happily schedule a free legal case evaluation for you. Fill out the contact form on the Morgan & Morgan website to arrange your consultation.

Examples of Hotel Injuries

There are many situations in which hotel owners or operators can be held accountable for injuries experienced by guests. When a hotel is not properly maintained or repaired, there may be many hazards and dangers.  

Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, you should not have to worry that the hotel you choose will be unsafe. Unfortunately, some hotel owners do not take their guests’ safety as seriously as they should.

When a hotel has been negligent and an injury happens, they may be financially responsible for the damages. Some of the most common injuries arising because of hotel owner negligence include:

Slips, Trips, or Other Falling Accidents

The most common cause of hotel guest injuries is falling accidents. When a hotel operator fails to regularly maintain their property, slips and trips become much more likely. 

Owners and operators should maintain the following structural elements of their premises:

• Steps
• Sidewalks
• Traffic areas—such as parking lots
• Floors
• Hallways
• Walkways 

Regular maintenance involves both structural repairs and routine cleaning. In the case of maintenance that cannot be immediately enacted, the hotel operators should use clear signage. This will help inform guests of the potential hazards. 

Some of the common causes of slips and trips on hotel premises include: 

• Broken, missing, or inadequate hand railing
• Dim or inadequately lit stairwells or hallways
• Inadequately marked steps in a swimming or pool area
• Recently mopped or waxed floors with no signage
• Debris, electrical wires, or loose objects in walkways
• Loose carpet, rugs, or tiles on the floor
• Spills in the hotel restaurant or bar
• Fractured, cracked, or uneven sidewalks and walkways
• Slippery surfaces near a hot tub or pool
• Snow or ice on sidewalks or parking lots 

If you have been hurt in a falling mishap, you may wonder how to sue a hotel for injury. One of the accomplished tort lawyers at Morgan & Morgan will happily review the facts of your case to determine the best legal path forward.

Assault and Criminal Attacks

When you book a room in a hotel, you reasonably expect a certain level of security. You should not have to worry that anyone will assault or intentionally harm you during your stay. 

Unfortunately, some hotel owners do not adequately invest in security measures to keep their guests safe. If you are assaulted in a hotel, the person who perpetrated the crime will be primarily liable. 

But suppose the hotel’s inadequate security measures led to your assault. In this case, you may be able to pursue financial compensation directly from the hotel owner.  

This is also true if the hotel security personnel behaved negligently. In a case like this, you would need to provide evidence that the hotel operators could have foreseen the risk of crime.  

For instance, imagine that a hotel did not sufficiently check the background of one of its employees. If that employee assaulted a guest, the hotel might be held accountable for the costs of the injury the victim sustained.  

Beyond security personnel, hotel owners have a duty to invest in structural safety features. These may include:

• Properly functioning window and door locks
• Secure key cards to open doors
• Security cameras 

If a hotel’s lack of security features results in a guest being assaulted, the victim can file for damages. At Morgan & Morgan, we have the resources necessary to hold any type of hotel accountable for the damage its guests have experienced.

Defective or Faulty Exercise Equipment Injuries

Most hotels offer their guests several amenities. Oftentimes, guests have access to a gym or workout area. 

Hotel guests should understand that there is always an inherent risk of physical injury when they work out. However, this risk of injury increases drastically if they use faulty or malfunctioning fitness equipment.  

When a hotel staff fails to maintain exercise equipment, personal injuries become probable. For instance, suppose that you were injured while jogging on a treadmill because the equipment malfunctioned. In a case like this, you could pursue compensation through a lawsuit holding the hotel accountable.

How Do I File a Lawsuit Against a Negligent Hotel?

When you are wondering how to sue a hotel for injury, it is important to understand the role that “negligence” plays. Like most premises liability claims, hotel injury cases require the victim to prove that the property owners, operators, or employees did not take reasonable steps to maintain safety.  

Successfully recovering the financial compensation that you deserve will involve collecting relevant evidence. The skilled legal team at Morgan and Morgan has decades of experience gathering powerful evidence to bolster our clients’ cases. 

It is important to pursue evidence of hotel negligence quickly in the wake of your injury. As time passes, it will become more difficult to secure proof that the hotel is responsible for your damages. 

Plaintiffs should collect both physical evidence and eyewitness testimonies to support their account of events. Examples of physical evidence can include: 

• Security camera footage
• Keycard timestamps to prove theft
• Photos of physical injuries from the incident
• The victim’s medical records or doctor’s notes 

It is also very helpful to collect statements and accounts from anyone who witnessed the accident or injury. This powerful evidence will help prove that you were hurt because of the hotel’s negligence. 

Speak with any of the following people who witnessed the incident that led to your injury: 

• Hotel staff members
• Hotel managers
• Guests who were present at the time 

It can be very challenging to prove that your injury directly resulted from a hotel owner’s negligent behavior. For this reason, it is critical to hire one of the knowledgeable litigants at the firm of Morgan & Morgan. 

As America’s largest personal injury law firm, we have more than 1,000 attorneys with trial experience nationwide. We have a long track record of successfully holding negligent business owners accountable for the harm that they cause. 

To explore how to sue a hotel for injury in your case, schedule a legal consultation today. 

What are “Damages” in Hotel Injury Cases?

The legalese term for payments made to victims of a tort is “damages.” In most premises liability cases, such as hotel injury claims, victims can pursue two separate types of damages. These types of payments are called “special” and “general” damages. 

“Special” Damages

Special damages are sometimes known as “economic” damages. These payments compensate victims for the money that they lose as a result of their injuries.

Recovering from a physical injury is very expensive in the United States. Some of the common monetary losses that injury victims experience include:

• Current and anticipated future medical bills
• The cost of ongoing care
• Rehabilitation
• Property damage from the incident
• Foregone income and wages from missing work 
• Inability to earn income long-term 

When you file a lawsuit against a negligent hotel owner or operator, you can claim compensation for all these losses. An experienced attorney will help you accurately determine the special damages in your hotel injury claim.

“General” Damages

General damages are payments meant to cover the intangible harms that injury victims sustain. For this reason, they are often called “non-economic” damages.  

Some typical examples of general damages include financial payments to make up for: 

• Physical pain, suffering, and discomfort
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Emotional anguish and distress
• Depression and anxiety
• Embarrassment or ostracization
• Disfigurement and disability
• Emotional anguish and distress 

Victims deserve compensation for the incredibly negative experiences that their injuries entail. However, most people are uncertain about how to quantify the losses from general damages. 

Fortunately, the team at Morgan and Morgan has plenty of experience accurately calculating the value of personal injury cases. When you have been hurt because of a hotel’s negligence, hire a skilled legal representative by contacting our firm.

What Are Contingency Fees?

Contingency fees are one approach that law firms use to handle the payment for legal services. This payment structure ensures that victims can pursue justice regardless of their economic status.  

With this approach, you will not pay anything unless you receive the compensation you deserve. After our skilled litigants settle or win your case, a previously negotiated portion of the financial recovery will be allocated to cover attorneys’ fees. 

In other words, you will not pay a penny until you receive the money you need. 

What Is a Statute of Limitations?

A statute of limitations is a legal time limit by which you must file a lawsuit. The statute of limitations varies by state.  

For this reason, you should contact a firm with experience in your state. Fortunately, the firm of Morgan & Morgan has represented clients across the nation.

Contact Our Accomplished Attorneys Today

When you stay in a hotel, you should not have to worry that you might suffer an injury because of another person’s negligence. Following a hotel injury, it is vital to speak with a legal professional to hold the liable parties accountable. 

The law firm of Morgan & Morgan has a sterling track record of more than three decades. Let us review your claim and fight diligently to get the compensation you need. 

When you complete our online contact form, we will arrange a no-cost consultation. Do not settle for less than the best. Contact Morgan & Morgan today.