When you go away on vacation and stay in a hotel, you’re probably expecting a chance to relax and destress. What you are not expecting is to get hurt due to the negligence of those running your hotel. Slip and fall accidents are common in hotels though, and it may be hard to get the kind of compensation that you deserve without the help of a Prince George’s County slip and fall lawyer from our firm.
What Are Some Common Injuries in Hotel Falls?
Some people are lucky enough to walk away from a hotel slip and fall with some minor aches and pains, but others get seriously harmed. A fall can cause injuries like:
- Concussions
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back and shoulder injuries
- Sprains
- Torn ligaments
Some of these injuries require long recovery times. Others could affect you for life. You should not be stuck paying medical bills and other expenses if this slip and fall only occurred due to someone else’s negligence.
What Should I Do After an Accident in a Hotel?
After a slip and fall in a hotel, you should take actions to protect yourself and begin building a potential personal injury case against the establishment. We recommend that you:
- Take pictures of the accident scene
- Get contact info from any potential witnesses
- Fill out an incident report
- Avoid talking to the hotel’s insurer on your own
Then you need to get medical care as soon as possible. After that, you can evaluate the situation with a personal injury attorney to see if suing for damages is a possibility.
When Can I Sue the Hotel For Damages?
Not every slip and fall in a hotel leads to a lawsuit. This is because plaintiffs often have to clear a high bar to show that a defendant was actually negligent. Then they have to show that this negligence led to them getting injured.
So in a situation where someone fell in a hotel because a banister on a poorly maintained stairwell broke, that person probably has a case against a hotel. If someone fell on flat, well-maintained walkway outside the hotel after drinking heavily, that probably would not be something that could be blamed on the establishment.
Should I Hire an Attorney?
We do recommend hiring a personal injury attorney when pursuing damages. As we mentioned, proving that someone else was negligent can be tough. An experienced lawyer can help you build a compelling case and bring the hotel’s insurance company to the negotiating table. Then we can help you fight for the compensation that you deserve.
Schedule Your Consultation
If you were hurt at a hotel or on someone else’s property, it’s time to explore your legal options. Contact McCarthy, Winkelman & Mester, L.L.P. and schedule a free consultation with our team. We can tell you more about what can be done to make this right.
