What To Do If You Get Hurt At A Hotel
You pack up the car and head out on your family vacation, and you have the whole trip planned out. You want to do some sightseeing and do a little hiking and you want to swim in the hotel pool and get a little sun. Finally, you arrive at your hotel and settle in. Before you have a chance to change into your swimsuit, you’re in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. You slipped and fell while walking through the hotel lobby. You have two broken bones and have to stay in the hospital for surgery. This is your worst nightmare. Unfortunately, this is reality for hundreds of vacationers in South Carolina every year. Accidents happen. They’re usually caused by negligence. If you or your family are hurt in a hotel in Spartanburg, you need to contact a Spartanburg personal injury lawyer.
You Need A Spartanburg Personal Injury Lawyer
If you’ve been injured due to a hotel’s negligence in South Carolina, you’re gonna need to file an insurance claim. If that claim is denied, you may need to file a personal injury suit.
The Most Common Types Of Hotel Accidents Include:
- Parking lot and garage accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Broken steps
- Elevator incidents
- Improper lighting
- Bathtub accidents
- Car accidents involving valet drivers or hotel transport vans
When you visit a hotel, you expect to be treated with a certain level of care. You certainly don’t expect the hotel owners to keep the premises in a state of disrepair. If they do, you need to retain a personal injury lawyer.
If you’re hurt on the hotel’s premises, the first thing you need to do is seek immediate medical attention. The second thing you need to do is file a claim against their insurance company. Hotels have to maintain high insurance thresholds because of the nature of their business. However, just because you’re injured, doesn’t mean they’ll pay your claim.
The hotel may deny the claim for any number of reasons, including :
- They don’t believe the hotel is responsible
- They don’t think you were really injured
- You were not a registered guest of the hotel at the time of the accident
- You were at fault or didn’t file your claim in a timely fashion
Even if the insurance company denies your claim, it doesn’t mean you’ll have to go to trial. Nobody wants to go to trial, including the insurance company. Trials are time consuming and expensive. It is in the best interests of all involved to settle the case out of court.
Hotels In South Carolina Owe Their Guests A Duty Of Care
Thankfully, South Carolina has rules that require hotels to maintain safe premises for their guests. They must maintain clean and safe rooms, lobbies, floors and premises for their guests and visitors.
There are laws in South Carolina that protect hotel guests from accidents. As a general rule, hotels aren’t responsible for stolen property. However, they are responsible for your safety. So, if your car’s stolen from a hotel parking lot, the hotel isn’t responsible. However, if the valet driver runs you over with your car, the hotel may be liable.
Either way, you have to file a claim against the hotel insurance. Some statutes hold the hotel owner strictly liable for your injuries. An experienced personal injury lawyer in Spartanburg knows the law and will help get you the compensation you deserve.
Contact A Spartanburg Personal Injury Lawyer
If you or a family member have been hurt at a hotel, you need to contact a Spartanburg personal injury lawyer. You’ll have to overcome a few issues. For starters, you’ve been hurt in another state while on vacation. This means you need a South Carolina personal injury attorney to handle your case so you can go home.
Some Of The Damages Your Personal Injury Lawyer Will Demand Include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Out of pocket expenses due to the incident
Contact a Spartanburg personal injury lawyer today to review your case. Your initial consultation is free. A skilled attorney can review your case and let you know what it may be worth. He can also answer any questions you may have about South Carolina hotel law. He’ll contact the hotel’s insurance company and try to negotiate a fair settlement.
The consultation is free and you pay nothing until you settle your case. The insurance company will have lawyers working for them. You need to have one working for you!