Avoid These Common Hotel Personal Injury Accidents
Holidays are supposed to be a fun time for friends and family. The thought of having an accident or getting injured is something that concerns us all before we set out on a trip, so we take every precaution to ensure we are safe while traveling. What we usually don’t think about is our personal safety in hotels and resorts. Surprisingly, many vacationers are injured before they even have a chance to leave their hotel. Hotel accidents are common causes of personal injury while traveling, but they can be avoided with the right knowledge. Read on to learn about the most common hotel accidents and what to do if you are seriously injured at a hotel or resort.
slip and fall accidents
Slip, trip and fall accidents are among the most common personal injury claims in the hospitality industry. In fact, they are also one of the most common accidents at airports. There are several causes of slip and fall accidents in hotels, including wet floors, uneven pavement, faulty stair rails, torn carpeting, warped floorboards, obstructions like cables and wires, poor lighting, and much more. Injuries that result from such accidents generally include orthopedic injuries, muscle injuries, and head injuries. Hotels have a duty to ensure that their facilities are safe for guests and employees, which includes being aware of floor cleanliness, maintenance and security.
Swimming Pool Accidents
Swimming pools are a huge responsibility for a hotel or resort, as many things can go wrong with guests. Swimming pools are prime targets for accidents, including head injuries, slip and falls, drowning, and more. It is important to supervise children at all times and exercise extreme caution when moving around pool decks. Hotels have a duty of care to ensure their pools are safe and code compliant. Pool decks should be textured to prevent slipping, pool stairs should be properly lit and marked, liability and lifeguard signs should be prominently displayed, water should be properly treated on a routine basis, filters should be changed, the area must be well lit, Etc.
defective furniture
Although not something that is obvious to the average person, defective furniture is a common problem in hotels. Hotels will often try to cut costs by repairing broken furniture themselves, rather than replacing it with new furniture. Careless and inexperienced manual work makes furniture unstable and therefore unsafe. If a guest is using a piece of furniture, such as a chair, and it has been poorly repaired or assembled by hotel staff, it may break and cause injury to the guest. This is especially dangerous for young children, toddlers, and the elderly.
Premises Responsibility
As mentioned, hotels have a duty to ensure that their facilities are safe for everyone. Failure to do so may reasonably result in a premises liability claim. They are obligated to maintain a safe environment and prevent accidents wherever hazards appear. Any accident that was reasonably foreseeable and easily preventable could be the subject of a personal injury claim if a person was seriously injured as a result. Hotel property includes the interior and exterior of the hotel grounds, including the parking lot, parking garage, shuttle bus, and more.
What to do after being injured at a hotel or resort
If you are injured at a hotel as a result of the hotel’s negligence in maintaining a safe location, you should speak to an experienced personal injury attorney immediately. They can determine if you have a valid case and discuss your rights to compensation. You may be able to recover compensation for medical expenses, hospital bills, lost wages, and more. Just be sure to contact an attorney soon, before you run out of statutes of limitations!