Staying in a hotel is supposed to be a fun and relaxing experience. Hotels offer many amenities to make your stay more pleasant, such as swimming pools, spas, fitness centers, restaurants, and on-site security. Unfortunately, hotel guests are sometimes injured due to the staff’s negligence.
If you or your child are injured while staying at a hotel, motel, or resort, a premises liability attorney could review the circumstances surrounding your injuries to determine who is at fault and why they should compensate you. Let a Western PA hotel accident lawyer from our firm help you hold responsible parties accountable for your losses.
Hotel owners and managers who act negligently can be held liable for a guest’s subsequent injuries with the help of a Western PA lawyer. Guests have a reasonable expectation that hotel premises will be safe, or if a conditions causes an area to be unavoidably unsafe, that they will be warned of the danger.
For instance, if a liquid is spilled on the lobby floor, a reasonable person would expect it to be mopped up promptly or marked with signage until it can be cleaned. If many hours elapse and the liquid is still a danger, causing a guest to slip, fall, and sustain injuries, the hotel owner and employeescould be at fault.
Falls are common accidents at hotels, but they are not always attributable to negligence. Falling incidents may trigger lawsuits for a hotel if they involve, among other things:
Injuries due to falls can be as minor as some bruising or catastrophic in nature, such as broken bones, head and neck trauma, and even paralysis or death if the fall is from a great height. Guests should be aware of other amenities or conditions on hotel properties that could lead to injuries, such as swimming pools, fitness centers, and negligent security.
According to 15 U.S.C. §8003, all public pools (hotel pools included) must be equipped with systems that prevent people, especially small children, from becoming trapped in drains. All pool drains must feature at least one of the following mechanisms:
State and federal regulations also mandate hotels to maintain proper fencing and gates around pools as well as post signs indicating water depth, whether a lifeguard is on duty, and the rules for using the pool. If a hotel pool lacks any mandatory safety regulations and someone is injured as a result, a local attorney could help him or her recover economic and non-economic damages from the negligent party.
Because of the transient nature of hotels, crime can be relatively common. If adequate security is not provided for guests, and an assault or robbery occurs, the hotel could be held liable with a Western PA lawyer’s help. Hotels can take steps to keep guests safe, like employing security guards, providing adequate lighting, making sure security cameras are in working order, and using a key card system so outsiders cannot access guest rooms.
A guest can be injured in a hotel room in several ways. For example, televisions mounted incorrectly on the wall can fall, old furniture can break, and bedding can be home to bedbugs. A hotel that knows or should reasonably know of these conditions is responsible for protecting guests from the dangers they pose.
Whether you travel for business or pleasure, you expect a safe, pleasant hotel experience. Most of the time, your expectations are met. Sometimes, however, a guest is injured due to the negligence of the hotel’s owner, manager, or staff.
If you are hurt while staying at a hotel or motel, contact one of our Western PA lawyers to discuss your accident. We work to get you the compensation you deserve after someone’s negligence injures you. Call our firm today to set up your initial consultation.
Marcus & Mack
