Maison Law represents victims of injuries across all of California, particularly those that can happen to you or a loved one at one of the many Motel 6 hotel chains scattered throughout the state. These hotels are designed with your comfort and convenience in mind, but when there’s negligence involved, there’s the chance that there could be an accident and injuries. To learn more about your potential options in a hotel accident, contact us today for a free consultation.
What Should You Do After a Hotel Accident?
Whenever there’s an accident at a Motel 6, there’s two ways to look at it – first, the most urgent need is to tend to your injuries. Your health is always the top priority. Once that’s taken care of, you can start looking at what you need to do in terms of your legal options. So, here’s what you usually need to do in these situations:
- Medical attention – If you or anyone else sustains an injury at the Motel 6, it’s crucial to get medical assistance right away. Ask hotel staff or management for first aid, and even seemingly minor injuries should be looked at by a doctor to ensure proper care.
- Report the accident – Inform the hotel staff or management about the incident as soon as possible. Request that they document the details and provide you with a copy. Clearly explain how the accident occurred and if there were any injuries.
- Gather visual evidence – Use your phone or camera to capture photographs of the accident scene and any contributing factors such as spills or damaged items. Also, get contact information from potential witnesses.
- Preserve any documentation – Make sure to keep all relevant documents, including medical bills, receipts for related expenses, and correspondence from the hotel or insurance company. Organize emails and letters pertaining to what happened so you have them for later.
Do You Need Our Lawyers?
By following these steps, you protect yourself and can take legal action if needed. That said, whether or not you need our lawyers depends on the circumstances. If you believe the incident was only minor or you suffered just slight injuries, you can probably avoid the legal process altogether. Still, you have the legal right to file an injury claim, and in order to do that to the best of your ability, our experienced legal team can help you.
Accidents and Injuries at Hotels
There’s a wide variety of things that can happen to you at a Motel 6 or any other hotel. Most of the time, though, it involves the following accidents and injuries –
- Slip and fall incidents – These accidents may occur due to wet floors, uneven surfaces, or cluttered walkways, potentially causing injuries like sprains, fractures, or head trauma.
- Tripping hazards – Objects left in hallways or poorly maintained carpets can cause guests to trip, leading to injuries similar to slip and fall accidents.
- Swimming pool mishaps – Some Motel 6 hotels often feature swimming pools where accidents like slips on wet surfaces, diving mishaps, or drowning incidents can happen.
- Elevator or escalator mishaps – Malfunctions or inadequate maintenance of elevators and escalators can result in accidents such as falls or entrapment, causing various injuries.
- Bed or furniture incidents – Defective or poorly maintained beds and furniture can cause accidents like collapses or falls, resulting in injuries to guests.
- Foodborne illnesses – Improper food handling or hygiene practices in the hotel’s restaurant or dining facilities can lead to food poisoning among guests.
- Assault or theft – It’s not unheard of to have assaults and robberies at a Motel 6, particularly when security is lax.
Liability
A huge part of your potential options depends on who is responsible for the accident–and legally responsible for covering your injuries and other damages. In legal terms, this is known as “liability.” In California, these incidents fall under “premises liability.” This means:
- Property owners and hotel managers are accountable for maintaining a safe environment for visitors, customers, and guests.
When you get injured as a result of negligence, it allows you to pursue an injury claim if specific conditions are met:
- Duty of care – Property owners and hotel management must ensure their property is reasonably safe and promptly address any known hazards.
- Foreseeability – Hotel management must identify and rectify hazards (or potential hazards) such as wet floors, uneven surfaces, or inadequate lighting.
- Failure to warn – To build a case, it’s crucial to demonstrate that the hotel was aware of the danger or should have been aware through regular inspections, and that their failure led to the accident in question.
While hotel management (including the parent company) primarily bears liability for accidents on their property, others may also share some responsibility:
- Other hotel guests
- Staff members
- Security personnel
- Maintenance workers
- Product manufacturers
California follows comparative negligence, meaning if you share some fault, your damages may be reduced. Regardless, you can still bring a claim for damages.
What Are Your Damages?
In much the same way that your options vary based on your circumstances, so too will your damages. Basically, what you can get back in an injury claim depends on how injured you are, how liable Motel 6 and others are, and how much fault you may have contributed to the accident.
What doesn’t change is how you get these damages. You can either file an insurance claim outside of court or a personal injury lawsuit inside the court system. Both options allow you to recover certain damages like:
- Medical expenses – These cover for past and future medical bills related to your injuries, including hospital stays, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, and therapy.
- Lost wages – These damages are built around wages lost due to the accident and any resulting injuries, including past and future earnings if your injuries impact your ability to work.
- Pain and suffering – These damages cover the physical pain, emotional distress, and mental anguish caused by the accident and your injuries.
- Property damages – Repair or replacement costs for any personal property damaged or lost as a result of the accident, such as clothing, electronic devices, or other belongings.
- Disability or disfigurement – These cover any permanent disabilities, disfigurements, or impairments resulting from the accident.
- Loss of enjoyment of life – These damages can cover the loss of enjoyment of activities and hobbies you can no longer participate in due to your injuries.
- Punitive damages – In cases of extreme negligence or intentional wrongdoing by the property owner or manager, punitive damages may be awarded to punish the responsible party and deter similar conduct in the future.
Remember, the “statute of limitations” for these claims is two years from the accident or injury date. Missing this deadline means forfeiting the opportunity to pursue damages.
Experienced Legal Support for Hotel Accidents in California
While staying at a Motel 6 in California, sustaining injuries shouldn’t be a concern, yet it unfortunately happens. At Maison Law, our skilled team recognizes the significance of hotel accidents. If you or a family member has been injured due to negligence at a Motel 6 or elsewhere, reach out to us today for a free consultation.
