California residents who rent living spaces using the Airbnb or Vrbo apps may be looking for a change of scenery or some vacation time.
It’s a simple and usually economical option for getting away, but you should also consider your safety when entering any residence. You could be hurt by the negligence of a host or property owner and be in the hospital for more than just a night.
When these painful and expensive accidents happen, you may be forced to ask your host and Vrbo for help during recovery.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Real Lawyer After an Airbnb or Vrbo Accident
If you or a loved one are hurt in an accident while staying at a vacation rental, you deserve to know about every benefit available for help in recovery. If a host or homeowner contributed to that accident by providing you with unsafe lodging, you can’t let them escape financial responsibility for what’s happened.
The Premises Liability Accident Lawyers at Maison Law of California provide a free case consultation to all victims. It’s a no-risk way to find out what your case may be worth. If you decide you’d like our help, you don’t need any money upfront. We don’t get paid unless we win your case.
Airbnb and Vrbo Premises Liability and A Duty of Care
Premises liability applies to all properties where you are invited in. It means that while you visit or live in a vacation rental, the property owner, host, or management company is legally obligated to make your stay as reasonably safe as possible.
This “duty of care” means property owners and operators must act to clean up, fix, or replace any hazard that may cause you harm while you live there. You may keep up with repairs at your own home. You may quickly replace malfunctioning appliances and heating and a/c systems, but your host may not. These oversights could cause you to get hurt and leave Airbnb or Vrbo liable.
This duty can apply to a slippery shower floor that might take your feet out from under you. A blow to the head or a cracked hip could be both the host’s and Vrbo’s responsibility. A stairwell leading to your Airbnb could have crumbling steps or a loose handrail that sends you falling. Under premises liability, when the negligence of property owners and/or management companies is shown to have caused your injury, they can be fully liable.
Does Airbnb and Vrbo Provide Accident Insurance?
The good news for guests and property owners using these lodging apps is that both companies cover potential injuries with one million dollar liability coverage. Property owners and hosts don’t have to sign up for these policies. They are provided automatically for anyone who lists a property.
It means that any guest injured in a vacation rental can seek financial help for recovery from Airbnb and Vrbo.
For Airbnb, their third-party insurance policy provides primary coverage for owners. It means personal injury victims can draw upon the coverage first even when the owner or management company has their own liability insurance.
For Vrbo owners, if the owner already carries liability insurance, perhaps through a homeowners policy, both policies would be called upon. Vrbo’s insurance company and the provider representing the owner would both pay towards recovery for the victim.
Do I Need a Premises Liability Lawyer After an Airbnb Accident?
A one-million-dollar policy sounds great, but in reality, these insurance companies won’t make it easy for you to access support for an injury. They’ll be working to reduce or eliminate the blame for their companies in your accident.
You’ll need strong evidence showing that the negligence of the homeowner or host was the cause of your mishap. Your California Airbnb Accident Lawyer will play a key role in building a strong case for you that insurance adjusters can reject.
Your experienced personal injury lawyer also knows when you’ve been extended a “lowball” settlement offer that won’t cover your injury expenses now or in the years to come. Your lawyer helps you spot and reject these claims and helps you demand more on a settlement check.
Compensation Available After a Vacation Rental Accident
Your injury will leave you with expensive medical bills that you may not be able to pay off or even make the first payment on. When an injury leaves you unable to make it into work, you can start losing paychecks, and then your car payments and rent may fall behind.
A slip-and-fall accident in an Airbnb or suffering an electrical shock from faulty wiring in a Vrbo condo can deal you a devastating physical and financial blow.
That’s why it’s critical to file a claim that demands help with every hardship you’ve faced since your accident. Your Vacation Rental Accident Lawyer will ensure that every damage you’ve absorbed is included in the claim. Anything not included in this claim comes out of your own pocket.
You’ll call upon Airbnb’s insurance, Vrbo’s insurance, and perhaps the host’s own homeowners insurance coverage to try to earn compensation for these factors and more:
- All current medical bills and those expected in the future.
- The costs associated with a permanent disability such as home renovation, money for medical equipment and yearly replacements. The costs of career training if the victim can’t return to a previous job should also be included.
- Physical pain and the emotional trauma experienced through recovery.
- Loss of enjoyment of life due to an injury.
- Travel costs while making doctor visits and visiting out-of-city specialists.
- All wages forfeited while in recovery. Perhaps a lifetime of support if victims can never return to work and support their families.
Contact an Airbnb and Vrbo Accident Lawyer Serving California Victims
When you or a loved one are injured while living in or visiting a vacation rental property, make sure you know about the benefits available to you and your family.
Filing a claim against a large company like Airbnb or Vrbo (owned by Expedia) can leave you facing off against company lawyers. These lawyers are paid to question the severity of your injuries and the fault of their clients in your accident. They are supposed to help vacation rental companies shed blame for personal injury accidents. It’s crucial that you have your own premises liability lawyer to protect your interests and make sure your case is taken seriously.
Contact attorney Martin Gasparian for a free and confidential case evaluation. Mr. Gasparian works with victims to make sure they are never held accountable for someone else’s negligence.
