Getting injured during your stay at a hotel is more common than people may think. The most common type of hotel injury, although certainly not the only type, is a slip and fall accident. According to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), slip and fall accidents account for about 1 million emergency room visits every year, which is approximately 12 percent of all fall accidents.
If you or a loved one were injured on hotel property, whether by slip and fall, assault, drowning, or other accident, you may be entitled to compensation. As an experienced personal injury attorney, I can provide guidance and advise you of your options following your injury on hotel property. I will fight to protect your rights and help you pursue fair financial compensation for your injuries and damages.
Glober Law Firm proudly serves clients throughout Jacksonville Beach, Jacksonville, and the entire state of Florida.
PREMISES LIABILITY
When guests or visitors get hurt in an accident on hotel property, the hotel management can be held liable. In Florida, there is a general law referred to as “premises liability.” Under Florida’s premises liability statute, property owners have a legal duty of care to keep their property in a reasonably safe condition. Not fulfilling that duty of care is referred to as negligence and can lead to a hotel guest being hurt or injured due to unsafe, dangerous, or hazardous conditions of the property.
Under the duty of care provision, the law requires hotel management to:
- Carry out adequate maintenance on their property
- Inspect the property
- Repair any potentially dangerous or unsafe conditions on the hotel premises
- Warn guests about any dangerous, hazardous, or unsafe condition of the hotel
TYPES OF PREMISES LIABILITY
Injuries that occur on hotel premises can generally be divided into two types of cases:
Hazardous Condition – This occurs when the property owner knew of or should have known of a hazardous condition and either removed the hazard or warned of its presence. For example, a spill that was reported but not cleaned up causing a patron to slip and fall or a guest who is burned at the breakfast station due to insufficient signs.
Dangerous Situation – The property owner, through negligence, may fail to protect customers from a dangerous situation, such as from criminal activity, that should have been foreseen. For example, a patron that is stabbed trying to keep combatants apart in a bar fight where no bouncers were present even though the hotel had fights and criminal activity in the past. In this case, there would generally be a criminal case against the assailant and a civil case against the bar owner or hotel.
Hotels and other businesses throughout Florida are required to keep visitors safe by:
- Keeping the property in reasonably safe conditions
- Ensuring reasonable care when hiring staff
- Maintaining sufficient security on the hotel premises
- Providing proper locks in rooms and safes to protect guest’s belongings
- Making sure pool staff (lifeguard) are properly trained and available
Slip and falls and other premises-related injuries usually occur due to an unfortunate combination of factors. To recover compensation for your injuries, victims must prove that the hotel management was aware of the unsafe conditions that caused your injury, or would have been aware of them if they had been reasonably careful, and failed to do anything about it.
HOW A PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY CAN HELP
Hotel premises liability victims may be eligible for financial compensation for their injuries and damages if their accident was caused by the negligence of the hotel management. However, proving negligence in such situations can be complicated. An experienced Florida personal injury attorney can fight to protect your rights and attempt to prove that:
- The hotel management was responsible for your safety and owed you a legal duty of care.
- There was a dangerous, unsafe, defective, or hazardous condition on the property.
- The hotel management was aware of a dangerous condition in their hotel that caused the accident.
- The hotel management was not aware of the dangerous condition but would have been if they had been paying sufficient attention.
- The injury or accident occurred as a result of the hotel management’s negligence.
At the Glober Law Firm, I will review your case, conduct a comprehensive investigation, establish liability, determine case-value, and negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company. Call me to get the compassionate representation you deserve in your premises liability lawsuit.
EXPERIENCED PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY IN JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FLORIDA
If you were hurt during your stay at a hotel in Florida, you may have claims against the hotel. Contact the Glober Law Firm today for help with your premises liability lawsuit. I will fight to protect your rights and help you pursue your rightful compensation. I proudly represent personal injury victims throughout Jacksonville Beach, Jacksonville, and the entire state of Florida. Call now to schedule a one-on-one consultation with an experienced Florida personal injury attorney.
