Many people visit Atlanta every year for work or for pleasure. Staying in hotels is common when visiting the area. Hotels, like other businesses, have a basic obligation to make sure their premise is safe for these visitors. Hotel guests are classified as invitees, so hotel operators have the highest duty under the law to these patrons who come to stay. Unfortunately, accidents can happen at hotels because those who operate these hospitality businesses do not always maintain the safe environment that is expected of them.
When an injury occurs in a hotel, contacting an Atlanta premises liability lawyer is important for victims. Visitors to the area who were hurt in a hotel may not live locally, so will need to make informed choices about where and how they can pursue a case for compensation for their damages.
Risks of Accidents and Injuries in Atlanta Hotels
Cornell University conducted a study to determine the sources of risk at Atlanta hotels so visitors would be aware of common causes of injuries and so hotel operators could be better informed about the biggest risks they need to mitigate. According to the Cornell Research:
- Slip and fall injuries are the leading cause of injuries among hotel guests. Falls are responsible for 42 percent of injuries that guests experience. This includes trips and slips, as well as incidents where hotel patrons fall from elevated heights. Hotel staff was also at risk of fall injuries, and falls accounted for 42 percent of employee injuries in hotels as well. Balconies, stairways, parking lots, baths and showers, and ramps were the most common locations within hotels where fall injuries occurred.
- Negligent security is the second most common cause of injuries among guests of hotels. A total of 40 percent of injured hotel patrons were harmed as a result of the hotels’ failure to provide adequate security to prevent robberies, sexual assaults, and other violent crimes.
- Food poisoning or other food-borne illnesses were another cause of guest injury. Approximately three percent of the situations in which patrons were harmed in a hotel occurred due to problems with the food that was served to them.
- The remaining fifteen percent of injuries at hotels occurred as a result of other causes, including defective product injuries and being hit by objects such as items falling off of shelves onto patrons.
After an incident at a hotel causes harm to a patron or to a staff member, it is important for the victim to understand what his or her rights are and how the civil justice system can be used to get compensation. While hotel employees can’t sue their employers and have to make a workers’ comp claim to get benefits, other victims could file a civil lawsuit and seek monetary payment for losses through a negotiated settlement or personal injury trial. An attorney can provide assistance to hotel patrons and staff in fighting to get the money they need to pay for economic and non-financial damages after a hotel injury.
Have You Been Injured On Someone Else’s Property?
If you’ve been injured due to neglect while on someone else’s property you need to speak with an experienced premises liability lawyer as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our office directly at (800) 234-9556 to schedule your free consultation.