When Is a Hotel Responsible for My Personal Injury?

December 15, 2017

As the months get colder, we tend to long for vacation someplace warmer than central Indiana. If you’re planning to get away from the snow at some point this winter, be careful that your mini-vacation isn’t ruined by a personal injury.

Personal injuries occur at hotels more often than you may think, and many times it is difficult to decide who it liable. In order to hold a hotel liable for your injury, you will need to prove some form of negligence, proving that the hotel somehow breached their duty to reasonably protect or care for you. But what are hotels’ duties to their guests?

Keep the Area Free of Hazards

A hotel has a few very prevalent duties to their guest. One main duty is to provide a safe environment without hazards or dangerous conditions. That means that any hazardous repairs must be made before guests arrive, or else guests should be kept away from these areas with the use of signs and caution tape.

With this is mind, it is also the hotel’s duty to clean up any sudden or unexpected hazards. This would include mopping up any spilled drinks and marking the wet area with a sign. It is important that hotels are attentive and quick to react whenever a hazard occurs.

Hotels are not responsible for hazards they either were not made aware of or could not be expected to know about. If your shampoo bottle explodes all over your bathroom floor and you don’t alert staff about the mess, the hotel shouldn’t be held responsible if you slip and fall on the shampoo-covered floor. However, if you alert staff, return to your room hours later, and slip on the floor because the mess still hasn’t been cleaned up, the hotel may be responsible for your injuries.

Maintain Security

Many people entrust a lot of personal items to the security of hotels. It is the hotel’s responsibility to make sure their premises is secure for both the safety of their guests and the security of their guests’ possessions.

One main concern when considering security is the rooms itself. The locks on the doors should be tested regularly to ensure that people and their items can be safely locked in their rooms if they choose. Many times this security should spread outside of the rooms. There should be a reasonable amount of cameras in the hallways and even the parking lot in order to discourage theft or assault.

Control Bugs

Everyone has read a nightmarish news story about a hotel infested with bedbugs, and no one wants to bring them home with them from vacation. It is a hotel’s responsibility to maintain a clean and safe room, and that would include making sure there are not dangerous bugs in the room.

Pool Safety

Pools are a large concern with hotels. It is the hotel’s responsibility to either provide adequate lifeguard staff or hang signs to warn that no lifeguard is on duty. It is also the hotel’s responsibility to ensure that the pool is swimmable if it is open to the guests. This means ensuring the water is clean and the chemical balance is correct.

Appropriate Employee Conduct

A hotel can be held reasonable for the behavior of their employees. If an employee intentionally causes injury to a guest, the hotel can be held liable for this injury even if the hotel did not sanction or condone the conduct.

Help from an Indiana Personal Injury Attorney

If your vacation was ruined by a personal injury caused by a hotel’s negligence, you could be entitled to compensation. Call Hensley Legal Group today for a free consultation, or contact us online.