Hotels hold the promise of serving as relaxing getaways, often complete with workout facilities, pools, and spas. But hotels are just as at risk of becoming the site of an accident as are other types of properties, and perhaps even more so when poorly maintained. If you are someone who has fallen and been injured at a hotel in Georgia, you may be able to bring forth a premises liability suit for damages. Our attorneys can help.
When You Can Bring Forth a Legal Action
Falls and slips are common; surely everyone has slipped or tripped at some point in their life. However, when slips and falls occur because of the negligent actions of another party, the victim is not to blame and should be able to seek compensation for their injuries.
A hotel could be held liable for injuries that you sustained in a slip and fall on its property when:
- The slip and fall occurred as a result of a hazardous or dangerous condition;
- The hotel (its employees, managers, etc.) knew of the dangerous condition;
- The hotel failed to take action to repair the dangerous condition in a reasonable amount of time; and
- Your slip and fall would not have occurred but for the dangerous condition.
You must bring forth your action within two years of its occurrence.
Types of Dangerous Conditions that Exist at Hotels
There are numerous hazards and dangerous conditions that could exist at a hotel, causing a fall accident and injury. These include, but are not limited to, foods of spills and drink, improperly maintained/broken flooring, broken elevators or escalators, torn carpet, electrical wires or other debris in walking area, improper control of guest traffic, potholes or other defects on hotel grounds, and more.
How Hard is It to Hold a Hotel Liable for a Fall Injury?
Holding a hotel liable for a fall injury is no easy feat. Remember, all of the criteria above must be established. Typically, proving that a defect existed and that the defect was the direct cause of your injury is the easy part; proving that the hotel knew of the dangerous condition and failed to correct it in a reasonable amount of time can be challenging. This is especially true because what is considered “reasonable” may vary depending upon who you ask.
For example, 30 minutes may seem like a reasonable amount of time to clean a spill (giving the employee plenty of time to grab cleaning materials) to some, whereas in many cases, it may have been reasonable to take action immediately by marking off the area and calling for service to have it cleaned, with the area remaining cordoned off in the meantime.
How Our Experienced Georgia Attorneys Can Help
Fall accidents and injuries may be common, but they are not always inevitable. When you have fallen at a hotel in Georgia and are injured, be sure to contact our experienced Georgia premises liability attorneys as soon as possible for a free consultation. We will investigate your accident and help you to understand your next steps.
The foregoing answer is not legal advice and is merely a general overview. You are advised to consult a lawyer to address your specific situation. Feel free to send comments or questions to: steve@aa-legal.com of Apolinsky & Associates, LLC, or call (404) 377-9191.
