Washington D.C. is the nation’s capital, therefore it attracts millions of people from across the country a year. To accommodate these tourists, the capital has many hotels for guests to enjoy their stay while they visit. When people stay at a hotel, they trust that the owners and staff work in the guests’ best interest and provide a safe premises for their stay. However, hotel accidents can occur when a certain standard of care is not provided for guests. Hotel owners and the staff are required to conduct routine inspections of their property to ensure the safety of all visitors. When they fail to do so, accidents can happen and people may become seriously injured. If an individual is injured due to the negligence of a hotel owner or the staff, it is important to seek legal representation to help your case.
Types of Hotel Accidents
Hotels can become a very crowded and busy place in hot spots such as Washington D.C. In order to keep their guests entertained, hotels offer several amenities. When owners and their staff cannot keep up with the proper maintenance of these amenities, accidents can happen. There are several ways an accident can happen in a hotel. Injuries can be caused by incidents such as:
- Stairwell accidents
- Elevator/escalator accidents
- Defective gym equipment
- Unsafe buildings and walkways
- Swimming pool accidents
- Food poisoning
- Inadequate security on the premises
Liability
In Washington D.C., all property owners are responsible for taking care of their premises and ensuring that it is safe for guests to be on. The same standard of care holds true for hotel owners and the staff they hire to look after its conditions. In order to do so, they must repair or remove anything that might be considered a hazard to their guests. It also requires them to notify guests of any unfixed hazards, hire proper security for the grounds, and train the hotel staff for all emergency and safety procedures. If a hotel owner or staff fails to provide this standard of care, they may be held liable for any accidents and injuries that may occur as a result. When this happens, an injured individual may wish to file a lawsuit against the property owner to receive compensation for their injuries.
Proving Negligence
When an injured person wishes to hold a hotel owner responsible for their injuries, they must prove that the owner was negligent in providing the standard of care for their guests. To do this, they must satisfy what is known as the “burden of proof.” The burden of proof requires the injured individual to provide evidence that proves the hotel owner knew or should have known about, the conditions that existed and did nothing to fix it. Evidence for a case may include medical documentation of the injury, security footage from inside the hotel, pictures of the hazardous condition, or any witnesses to the accident.
Contact our Firm
If you or someone you know was injured due to hotel negligence and wish to seek legal representation, contact Trombly & Singer, PLLC.today.
The experienced personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys at Trombly & Singer, PLLC are prepared to represent clients facing legal matters after being injured due to another person’s negligence. If you require strong legal representation in Washington D.C. or Maryland, contact our firm today to schedule a consultation.
