If you are a guest, patron, or visitor at a hotel, you have the right to expect that the owners will maintain safe premises. The owner invites people in to spend their money, and in return, has an obligation to ensure their safety.
If you were injured at a hotel or motel and another party’s negligence led to the condition that caused you harm, you could bring a premises liability claim against the hotel owner for damages. Our experienced Houston hotel injury lawyers at Kirk Law Firm, PLLC could help you prove negligence and secure the compensation you deserve.
Potential Injuries at Hotels
Virtually any accident that could happen at home or the office could also happen at a hotel. The difference is hotel owners have a heightened obligation to their invitees to protect them from hazards.
Nevertheless, people suffer injuries due to unsafe conditions in hotels every day. Some of the more common examples include:
- Trips, slips, and falls
- Injuries from defective gym equipment
- Escalator and elevator accidents
- Injuries suffered during criminal activity on the premises
- Diving accidents, drownings, or near drownings in a pool
- Burns from fires, scalding water in showers or sinks, and food or drink that is too hot
A meticulous Houston attorney from our firm could investigate the circumstances of the hotel accident to determine whether negligence created the condition that caused the accident. If so, the injured person has the basis for a successful claim against the hotel owner.
Hotel Operators Have Heightened Duty of Care
Behaving negligently means acting in a way that is unreasonably careless under the circumstances. Everyone has a duty to exercise reasonable care to prevent harm to others. As commercial property owners, the standard of care that is reasonable for hotel owners is higher than it is for other people who do not profit from the visitors on their premises.
Hotel owners must make regular inspections to find and repair dangerous conditions, even hidden hazards. They must respond quickly to indicators of a hazard and make immediate repairs to alleviate the danger. If prompt repairs are not possible, hotel owners must make reasonable efforts to warn their guests, visitors, and others who enter the premises—such as people making deliveries.
One of our experienced Houston lawyers could review the hotel’s inspection and maintenance records and its training procedures to identify failures to exercise the heightened standard of care the law requires. Armed with evidence of negligence, the legal professional could demand a reasonable settlement for the accident.
Damages Associated with Hotel Injury Cases
Injuries carry a financial burden. When the injury was due to another person’s negligence, the law makes the negligent party responsible for paying the costs of the injury.
Fair compensation could include the cost of medical care and reimbursement of lost wages. If the injured person will suffer the effects of the injury permanently, their compensation might include future medical expenses and payments to address their diminished future earning capacity. An injured person could also expect compensation for their pain, mental anguish, and reduced quality of life.
In some cases, the injured person’s conduct might have contributed to their injury. According to Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §33.001, such claimants could still collect reduced damages from a hotel owner as long as the claimant was not more than 50 percent responsible for the incident.
Pursue Your Hotel Injury Claim with a Houston Attorney
Insurers for commercial property owners often have aggressive lawyers defending negligence claims. They could try to reduce their liability by distorting the circumstances of an accident to make it look like your fault.
A seasoned Houston hotel injury lawyer at Kirk Law Firm, PLLC could shut down those tactics and force the property owner to take responsibility for their negligence. Reach out today to schedule a case review.