Hotels.com is a major provider of online listings for hotels, as well as motels, resorts, and vacation rentals. Due to the sheer volume of listings, the site is extremely popular among travelers that want a great deal for an upcoming trip. However, there’s no guarantee that lodgings booked on the site are free of hazards that can lead to harm and suffering. When someone becomes the unfortunate victim of an accident, Hotels.com is quick to say that they are just a third party platform for hotel listings. If you have any issues with a property you found on their website, it’s the hotel that’s responsible for what has happened to you.
However, Hotels.com is not always free from liability when there is an accident at one of their listings. In some cases, you may have the right to sue Hotels.com for monetary damages, along with the hotel you were staying at. If you or someone you know sustained an injury at a hotel that was booked on Hotels.com, please contact our law firm as soon as possible. If you are eligible for compensation, our attorneys will take immediate action on your case and fight tirelessly for the settlement you deserve.
Accidents during Hotel Stay at a Property booked on Hotels.com
Both indoor and outdoor areas of a hotel are highly prone to accidents that can cause grave injury to unsuspecting victims. Most of these accidents are preventable with basic measures, like regular inspections and maintenance of the property. Adequate security measures are important as well, as there are many areas of a hotel where people can be attacked, robbed, or sexually assaulted. When a resort, hotel, or motel staff fails in their duty of care, guests and visitors can be injured from:
- Slip and fall
- Trip and fall
- Broken step / stair injury
- Drowning (hot tub and pool accidents)
- Bed bug infestation
- Broken furniture injuries
- Falling objects
- Elevator / escalator injuries
- Food poisoning
- Electric shock
- Burn / fire injuries
- Collapsing ceiling / roof
- Bathroom injuries – slippery shower floors, broken toilets, etc.
- Assault and battery
- Sexual assault
- Parking lot accidents
- Gym equipment accidents
- Broken AC (leaking refrigerant poisoning)
- Golf cart accidents
Can I Sue Hotels.com for Injury in Hotel if I Booked a Hotel Room through them?
As someone who was harmed at a property that was booked on Hotels.com, you have many questions running through your mind concerning your rights and legal options. Most likely, you are curious to know:
- Are travel booking sites like Hotels.com responsible for an accident or injury in a hotel?
- Are they liable for accident or injury in a hotel / resort that I found on their website?
- What if I booked a motel room through them? Am I eligible for a lawsuit?
Under the laws of premises liability, it’s generally the property owner that’s responsible for an accident on their premises. An “owner” can be a private homeowner, building owner, private business, or government entity. Thus, you would normally sue the hotel, resort, or motel for your injuries. However, there are cases where a third party, such as an online marketplace, may share responsibility for an accident. Here are some examples of negligence and misconduct by Hotels.com that may have contributed to your incident:
- Posting, or allowing the posting of false / misleading information about a property on their website/
- Unjustly hiding or removing reviews with serious allegations against one of their listings (unsafe conditions, criminal activity, etc.)
- Failing to terminate a partnership with a property that’s in violation of Hotels.com’s policies.
- Refusing to assist or believe users when they report hazardous conditions or criminal activity at a hotel.
- Participating in a cover up attempt to bury allegation of sexual assault, safety code violations, and other accusations of negligence and misconduct.
As you can see, there are numerous ways that a travel site can bear responsibility if someone is injured at a hotel that was booked on their site. Of course, your own circumstances may be different than the examples we’ve listed here, but the important thing is to speak with an attorney, who can advise you of your rights and legal options.
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Compensation for Hotel Injury Victims
A settlement for a hotel injury case includes several types of damages that are economic and non-economic in nature. In essence, economic damages refer to losses that are easily calculated, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage. However, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other non-economic damages are much harder to determine. These losses are based on the emotional trauma associated with your accident, most commonly in the form of mental health issues, such as depression, PTSD, and sleep disorders.
Those that have lost a loved one to a hotel accident may also have the right to seek monetary compensation. If the hotel or Hotels.com is liable for your loved one’s death, you may have grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit, which can help you recover funeral expenses, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and various other expenses.
To learn more about the damages you are eligible to receive, contact our office to speak with a Hotels.com accident injury attorney.
Average Case Value of a Hotel or Motel Accident Lawsuit
Each hotel accident lawsuit has its own set of circumstances, and as a result, there’s no way to come up with a singular value that works for these cases as a whole. Furthermore, some accidents have a higher risk of injury (and permanent complications) than others, so that too, is a critical factor. For example, slip and fall or trip and falls may be worth around $250,000 to over $1 million when they take place on a commercial property. Settlements for assault and battery incidents, including sexual assault, may be around $1 million to $7.5 million, depending on the degree of negligence by the hotel or Hotels.com. If you’d like to know what you can potentially recover from a Hotels.com injury claim, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Statute of Limitations for Hotel Injury Cases
The amount of time you have to sue for a hotel injury claim depends on the type of accident you’ve suffered. However, the statute of limitations is generally 2 years from the accident date, or from the date you discover an injury from the accident. Filing your lawsuit on time is extremely important, as the courts rarely grant extensions past the statute of limitations. As a result, you may end up losing the right to sue, even if you have extensive evidence to support your case. Please get in touch with us right away to start the legal process on a Hotels.com accident injury lawsuit.
Free Second Opinion
Are you an injury victim that’s in need of a second opinion on your rights and legal options? If so, you may benefit from a second opinion with one of our attorneys. Many people find themselves in the middle of a case that’s going nowhere, or feel like they’re not getting the attention they deserve from their attorney. We are happy to discuss your concerns and provide ideas on what you can do to steer your case in the right direction. However, you are under no obligation to follow through on any of our advice, as all decisions regarding your claim are always up to you. If you have a pending hotel, motel, or resort accident case, call us today to schedule a free second opinion.
How long is the Case Settlement Process?
When we set out to recover your payment, our goal is to settle your case within 6 to 8 months. However, we can’t predict the various complications that can come up along the way. Depending on how long it takes to work through the issues, it can take 12 months or longer to resolve your claim from start to finish. If negotiating a settlement with the defendant is not possible, we can fight for your damages through a lawsuit, which will add one or more years to the amount of time it will take to settle your case.
Contact the Personal Injury Attorneys of Normandie Law Firm
Being harmed at a hotel, motel, or resort isn’t just an inconvenience in the middle of your vacation or business trip. An accident can have serious, long-term consequences on your physical and mental health. When you’ve been injured by another party’s negligence, the law allows you to demand compensation for the harm you’ve suffered. However, the legal process can be very challenging when multiple parties may be responsible for your injuries.
Our lawyers have decades of experience with complex personal injury cases, including lawsuits against travel booking sites and other online marketplace websites. We are confident in our ability to bring you justice, so please take the chance of giving us a call. If you decide to proceed with a legal action, you won’t be charged for any of our expenses under the Zero fee guarantee. We only get paid at the end of your case, when you receive the damages you’re entitled to.
Normandie Law Firm is here for you day and night, so contact us anytime to schedule a free case review.
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