What Duty Does A Hotel Owe Its Guests?A hotel or motel is under a duty to exercise reasonable care to keep steps and stairs in a reasonably safe condition. This duty includes providing adequate lighting, keeping stairs and steps in a reasonable state of repair, and to keep them dry and unobstructed.
Adequate LightingA guest who is injured because inadequate lighting caused an injury can hold the hotel liable for his injuries. Often, inadequate lighting is a contributing cause to an accident and is used in conjunction with other facts to prove a hotel's negligence. For example, a guest who slipped and fell in a stairway was able to recover from a hotel. There was no elevator service, the stairway was not properly lighted, and the stairs were slippery, worn, and slanted.
DisrepairWhere a guest is injured because of the failure to keep the stairs or their coverings in repair, and the hotel had knowledge of the defects, the hotel may be liable for the guest's injuries. Similarly, the stairs must be constructed in a reasonable manner so that a guest using them will not sustain injury. Failure to reasonably construct the stairs may result in the hotel being liable for injuries.
For example, a guest who was descending the stairs of a hotel caught her heel on a button protruding from one of the steps was injured when she fell on the floor. The carpet covering the steps was removed years ago and the buttons which held it in place were left on the steps. The hotel was found liable for negligence since it had knowledge of the condition for nine months prior to the incident.
A hotel was held liable for negligent construction, design, and maintenance of a step when a guest fell on it. The step was in the middle of a long walkway and was unmarked except for a worn strip of light paint.
Obstructed And Slippery StepsMany guests sue on the ground that the hotel has permitted steps or stairs to become slippery or obstructed, and because of such condition the guest fell and sustained injury. Whether the hotel has breached its duty to the guest largely depends on the particular circumstances of the case.
For example, a 64 year-old guest who was injured when she tripped over planks and lumber which blocked a fire stairway was able to recover from a hotel. She was unfamiliar with the hotel and used the fire stairs instead of the lobby stairs because the lighted exit sign for each stairway was the same. However, another guest who fell on concrete steps surrounding the hotel pool was unable to prove any negligence on the part of the hotel which caused his injuries.
Should I Consult An Attorney About Injuries On Hotel Stairs?If you have been injured on the stairs or steps of a hotel, a personal injury attorney can help. The hotel may have defenses to avoid liability, but an attorney can help assert your rights and prove your case so that you can recover damages for your injuries. |
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