Any business that is welcoming people into their building, is held responsible for certain duties and liabilities. Hotels are no exception to this rule, and in some ways are held to an even higher standard of care. When a person is received as a guest in a hotel, there is an implied contract that the hotel will provide them with proper accommodations and will exercise proper care over their safety as long as the guest refrains from offensive conduct that could be harmful to the hotel or its other guests.
Hotel Negligence and Liability
The hotel’s duty of reasonable care for the safety of the guests who stay there is to protect them from harm which is reasonably foreseeable. This includes risks of injuries that the hotel knew of but did nothing to address or did not warn guests of these possible hazards. If a hotel does not meet this standard and a guests was injured due to their negligence, than they may have a case against the hotel for compensation.
This does not mean that a hotel is responsible for the personal safety of its guests. Negligence only applies to defects or hazardous conditions in which the nature of hidden dangers, traps, or pitfalls are not reasonably noticeable. If care was taken to prevent the guests exposure to such dangers which are not reasonably noticeable than the duty has been fulfilled and the hotel cannot be held responsible or liable for any injuries obtained.
Common Causes of Injuries
Some of the most common causes of injury that the hotel could be held liable for are:
- Broken furniture – Most hotels make in-house repairs to its furniture in order to save money. Yet, because of the extreme overuse of some furniture, and in some cases its old age, furniture could collapse or brake and cause injury to the guests.
- Slip and falls – Slipping, tripping, and falling occurs frequently when there is a change in flooring between rooms. Worn carpet or cracked flooring may cause someone to trip and become injured.
- Infestations – In cases where hotels are not cleaned properly, there may be bug or rodent infestations that could cause guests to become sick or injured. Guests may also carry the infestation home, such as in cases where there is a bed bug problem.
Hotels are held to a certain standard for their legal duty of care to make sure that they do everything reasonably possible to make their premises safe for guests. If you have been injured due to the negligence of a hotel, contact one of our experienced attorneys with any questions or concerns.