Many hotels strive to provide quality service to their guests, including rigorously cleaned rooms and well-maintained furniture and walkways in both private rooms and common areas. However, not every hotel owner is stringent about maintenance-and this can lead to major safety hazards. From bed bugs to bad flooring, there are quite a few possible hazards for hotel guests that could lead to a dream vacation becoming a nightmare. Here are some of the more common hotel hazards that can lead to injured guests.
Damaged structures or furniture
One potential cause of hotel injury in Anaheim is related to structural damage-whether to the hotel room itself, the lobby or other common areas, or to furniture within the hotel. If an old and poorly maintained staircase collapses, grave bodily harm can be suffered. Even something as seemingly innocuous as a splinter from an old chair could lead to infection and illness causing pain and suffering and loss of wages.
Slick or slippery flooring
A leading cause of a slip and fall accident is attempting to walk on slick or slippery flooring. Walking or running on a slippery floor can cause you to lose traction and fall down. Depending on how you land, a wet-floor-related fall could cause serious injury or even death. According to statistics published by the CDC in 2013, the leading cause of brain injuries requiring a hospital stay in the U.S. were unintentional falls. Wet or greasy flooring in a hotel’s walkway can be perilous for anyone trying to traverse them, and if the hotel staff do not provide adequate warning about the hazard, the hotel’s owner could be held responsible for injuries sustained by guests in these areas.
Loose carpeting or rugs
A nice area rug can make a hotel room seem like a comfortable, more “homey” place to stay during your vacation or business trip. However, loose carpeting or a rug that has not been secured to the flooring it lies on can be major trip hazards. If you trip over a loose rug and become injured, the hotel’s owner may be held responsible, as failure to secure rugs could be seen as an act of negligence on his or her part.
Doorway thresholds
Even when not damaged, doorway thresholds can pose an injury risk. If your foot catches on the raised portion of the threshold and you trip and fall, you could be seriously hurt-and the hotel may be to blame under the law of premises liability. This and other hidden hazards don’t apply only to hotels-premises liability applies to owners of motels, inns, and “bed and breakfast” homes, as well.
What to do if you are hurt while staying in a hotel
If you or someone you love were hurt while staying at a hotel, you may be entitled to a monetary award for pain and suffering. Contact the Compass Law Group for a consultation to learn if your case has merit and about which courses of action are available to you under the law. The knowledgeable attorneys at Compass Law Group, LLP are at the forefront of law practice related to hotel injury in Anaheim and also in the greater Los Angeles area.
