Common Hotel and Motel Negligence Claims in Rancho Bernardo

If you travel by yourself or with your family and book a room at a hotel or motel in San Diego County, what does that hotel owe you when it comes to your health and safety? Generally speaking, hotels and motels owe a duty of care to customers who are staying in the rooms. This duty of care means that the hotel needs to take whatever steps a reasonable person would take to ensure that customers are not exposed to unreasonable risks of injury or illness while staying on the property. Given that we are now living in the era of the coronavirus, it will be particularly important for hotels and motels to provide guests with appropriate safety and health precautions, and that they warn guests about potential hazards on the property.

There are many different kinds of ways in which hotels and motels can be liable for guest injuries. The following are some examples of common hotel and motel negligence claims.

Slips, Trips, and Falls on Hotel Property

Businesses have a duty to remove or remedy hazards that could lead to a slip, trip, or fall injury on the property. If they cannot remove or remedy a hazard before a customer or guest might encounter it, then the business has a duty to warn people about the risk. Slips, trips, and falls happen with some frequency at hotels in Southern California. These accidents can happen, for example, when a guest is eating in the hotel’s restaurant and slips and falls in an area where a drink spilled. Or, for instance, if a hotel hallway has torn carpeting and poor lighting, a guest might trip and fall while trying to access her room. In many slip, trip, and fall cases, a hotel will be liable for injuries if it knew or should have known about a safety hazard and failed to correct it or warn about it.

Negligent Security Claims

Although you may not realize it, a hotel or motel can actually be responsible for a guest’s injuries that result from a criminal act committed by a third party—like an assault or battery—if the crime occurred as a result of the hotel’s negligence security. What does negligent security mean in this context? There are a number of possible answers. For example, if a hotel knows that one of its parking areas is poorly lit and has been a site of car break-ins, it may have a duty to install bright security lighting or even, depending on the circumstances, to hire a security guard. Or, for instance, if a hotel fails to provide each room with a properly functioning door lock and a guest is assaulted by an intruder, the hotel may be liable.

Foodborne Illness Claims

Hotels can be liable for guest injuries resulting from foodborne illness from hotel restaurant fare or room service foods. In thinking about infection-control measures, it will be particularly important for hotels to begin thinking about what infection-control procedures are in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Contact a Rancho Bernardo Hotel Liability Lawyer

If you or someone in your family suffered harm because of hotel or motel negligence, you may be eligible to file a lawsuit. An experienced Rancho Bernardo hotel injury lawyer can assist you. Contact the Walton Law Firm to learn more about getting started on your claim.

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