Maison Law represents those hurt in accidents in Turlock and the surrounding area. One of the most common places an accident can happen to you is at one of the city’s many hotels. If this has happened to you or a loved one, contact us today to set up a free consultation to discuss your potential options.
Do You Need Our Lawyers?
Regardless of the particular property or chain, there are hazards and the potential for injury at hotels throughout Turlock. But whether or not you need a lawyer depends on your situation. There’s a wide range of potential accidents, but if yours is minor, you probably don’t need to worry about taking legal action.
On the other hand, if your injuries are severe or if the hotel’s negligence caused the accident, our team is here to assist you. Here’s our approach:
- Examining and investigating the accident – We conduct a thorough investigation, gathering evidence like witness statements and videos to grasp the full scope of the incident.
- Explaining your legal options – We’ll discuss the available legal paths, such as filing a claim or engaging with the hotel’s insurance company.
- Evaluating your case – We evaluate your injuries, considering medical expenses, lost earnings, and emotional distress.
- Guiding you through the process – We’ll assist you with paperwork, liaise with insurance companies, and provide support during court proceedings.
- Making things easier – Our primary goal is to handle the legal aspects, allowing you to focus on recovery and minimizing the stress associated with the process.
Suffering an injury at a Turlock hotel is certainly not part of the plan when you book a stay. Unfortunately, these accidents occur more often than you might think. That’s why it’s crucial to be prepared and understand the process.
Liability and Damages in a Hotel Accident
Just because you don’t necessarily expect to get hurt at a hotel doesn’t mean it won’t happen. In fact, while most hotels have policies and procedures in place to protect themselves from possible legal problems. At the same time, like any other injury claim, the first step is to figure out who is liable–legally responsible for covering your injuries and damages.
Liability in these situations hinges on negligence, which involves:
- Failure by the hotel or other parties to fulfill their duty to ensure the safety of you and fellow guests.
This failure might come up when the hotel neglects to address known hazards or fulfill its obligations, such as:
- Watching over guests at the pool
- Quickly fixing broken flooring or elevators
- Clearing pathways of luggage
- Repairing broken security cameras
Depending on what happened, other people or groups might also be responsible:
- Hotel owner or management – They’re mainly in charge of keeping guests safe. If someone gets hurt at the hotel, they carry most of the blame.
- Hotel staff or employees – They could get in trouble if something they do or forget to do causes an accident. For example, if they don’t clean up a spill quickly and someone slips, they might be responsible.
- Maintenance or security workers – These are people hired by the hotel to keep things safe. If they don’t do their job properly and an accident happens, they might be to blame. Like if they install handrails incorrectly and someone falls because of it.
- Other guests or people – Guests staying at the hotel also need to be careful. If something they do hurts someone else, they could be partly responsible for what happened. For example, if a guest steals something or gets into a fight with someone, they could be held responsible.
- Product or food makers – If you get hurt because of something wrong with the food or items in your room, the company that made it might be at fault. Similarly, if you get sick from poor food preparation, those in charge could share some liability.
What Are My Damages?
At a hotel, accidents and injuries can vary, but your options are clear if you’re hurt. You can either file an insurance claim outside of court or a lawsuit inside the court system. In many cases, you start with an insurance claim and get offered a settlement. You decide whether to accept their offer, but usually, going to court is needed to make sure you’re covered for all your losses. These damages might be:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages or income
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Punitive damages, in some cases
While the timeline and process can vary, it’s crucial to exercise patience but also to act promptly. In California, there’s typically a two-year statute of limitations for injury claims, starting from the date of the accident. Missing this deadline could prevent you from filing a claim or recovering damages.
What Do You Need to Do After a Hotel Accident?
A hotel accident in Turlock isn’t necessarily all that different in terms of the actual process for getting damages, nor is it all that different in terms of what you need to do after an accident. As a victim, it’s important to take steps to protect your health, safety, and potential claim. So, when you’re hurt in one of these accidents, make sure to:
- Check yourself and others for injuries and seek immediate medical attention at the first aid station. Then get further medical care with a doctor.
- Report the accident immediately to hotel staff for assistance.
- Request that the hotel staff fill out a detailed report of the accident.
- Use your phone to take photos and videos of the scene, including any injuries.
- Obtain contact and insurance details from other parties involved.
- Keep records of medical treatments and communicate with the hotel and insurance company for a smooth resolution.
Types of Accidents
The good news is that your actions won’t change all that much from any hotel accident. However, the bad news is that there’s a wide range of things that could potentially happen. Most of the time, though, the following types of accidents are most common at a hotel:
- Slipping and falling – Wet or uneven floors or obstacles can cause sprains, breaks, or head injuries.
- Water accidents – Pools in hotels can result in slips, diving accidents, or drowning incidents.
- Criminal incidents – Assaults or robberies may occur, particularly in hotels with inadequate security.
- Tripping – Objects left around or damaged carpets can lead to guests tripping and getting hurt, similar to slipping accidents.
- Incidents on elevators or escalators – Malfunctioning or poorly maintained elevators or escalators can cause falls or entrapment, resulting in injuries.
- Poor furniture issues – Beds or furniture in poor condition may break or cause falls, injuring guests.
- Food poisoning – Careless handling of food in hotel restaurants can lead to guests getting sick.
There’s no way of sugarcoating it: a hotel accident can leave you or your loved ones facing serious injuries. This makes the legal process very important to your overall recovery. Our team will be there to guide you through this process.
Free Consultations For Turlock Hotel Accident Victims
At Maison Law, our experienced Turlock hotel accident lawyers understand the significant impact of an injury. When negligence on the part of a hotel leads to such injuries, it only adds to your frustration. Our legal team is here to help you in holding them accountable. Contact us today for a free consultation to get the recovery process started.
