When visitors go to a hotel or any public space, they have the right to expect they’ll be reasonably safe on the premises. Property owners are expected to maintain public areas when they invite customers in, including making sure that any obvious hazards are identified and corrected. If there are dangers that exist that cannot be easily remedied, patrons who visit hotels or these other public spaces are entitled to be warned of the risks.
Unfortunately, a recent hotel accident demonstrates the severity of injuries that could occur when things go wrong and property owners fail to fulfill their obligations. WTOP reported on the incident, which resulted in 25 minutes of panic, after a serious injury occurred at a hotel and casino.
Those who are hurt at a hotel, casino, or any other public place need to understand their legal rights and take appropriate action if injury occurs. An Atlanta premises liability lawyer can represent those who have been harmed and can help them to take appropriate legal action against property owners when those property owners created hazardous conditions that resulted in injury.
Hotel Water Fountain Causes Serious Injuries
According to WTOP, the tragic incident occurred shortly after midnight when a six-year-old girl was walking with her parents. The young girl grabbed a handrail, and sustained an electrical shock. The circular handrail that the girl had grabbed was located near to a hotel water fountain, and preliminary investigations revealed that the girl was not in the water near the fountain at the time of the incident but that the hand rail had been energized by a nearby light fixture.
A security guard who was present and who witnessed the incident tried to help the young girl and also sustained a shock, although his injuries were not life threatening. The young girl, on the other hand, suffered very serious harm and was in critical condition.
A police officer responding to the scene performed CPR to keep the girl alive until paramedics responded to the scene of the accident and rushed her to the hospital. It was determined that the young girl had suffered cardiac arrest as a result of the shock from the energized railing. It took four to six minutes until paramedics came to the accident scene, but it was not until she was rushed to the hospital that doctors were able to get her heart beating again. News reports indicate that her heart went around 25 minutes without beating normally.
An investigation into the incident was being conducted both by engineers from the hotel and by local law enforcement and the area where the incident took place was closed to the public. The girl’s prognosis was unknown as of the time of the reports.
Unfortunately, this is one of many incidents in which an innocent visitor to a hotel will be harmed by dangerous conditions. If you or someone you love is hurt or killed, you need to know your rights and should contact an attorney about pursuing legal action against the property owner.
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.