Suing a Florida Hotel for Negligence
Florida hotel owners are responsible for protecting guests against known and reasonably ascertainable dangers. Under Florida premises liability law, hotel guests are considered “invitees,” and owners can be held liable for injuries that they suffer on their property.
Note that the law classifies victims in one of three ways: invitee, licensee or trespasser. The duty of care the owner owes to a specific person depends on that legal classification. Owners owe the highest duty of care to people they invite onto their property for business or personal reasons, like hotel guests.
Orlando — and Florida, generally — is home to numerous hotels. If you are injured during your stay at a Florida hotel, an experienced personal injury attorney can help.
Examples of Hotel Negligence
The classic negligence case involves someone slipping and falling on a slippery substance. But this negligence claim is far from ordinary. In April 2017, a man was seated at a poolside bar at an Orlando resort when he was suddenly attacked by a wild raccoon. He suffered numerous injuries and argues that the Caribe Royale Resort Suites hotel should be held responsible for his damages. He alleges that the hotel failed to warn him that there were raccoons on the property and that it failed to provide effective rodent control services.
In September 2015 a man staying at the Grand Bohemian Orlando Hotel alleges that he was injured when a lamp exploded in his hand. He filed a lawsuit against the hotel in November 2017, claiming that the hotel was negligent in keeping a defective appliance in a guest room. Specifically, he says that the Grand Bohemian failed to inspect and maintain, and then repair, the lamp. He suffered numerous injuries, including aggravating a pre-existing condition.
Here is a slip-and-fall example. A woman is suing Westgate Leisure Resort on Villa De Costa Drive in Orlando after she fell on the stairs in March 2016. She says she was a business invitee of the hotel and that the resort owner failed to inspect the stairs, paint the steps with safety markings and failed to warn her that the stairs were defective. She filed a lawsuit against the hotel in December 2017.
Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit
Remember that you only have a limited amount of time in which to file your personal injury lawsuit. The statute of limitations (the deadline) for filing your claim is four years. If you do not file within four years, the law bars you from pursuing legal compensation. Filing early within the statutory period also makes it more likely that crucial evidence will be preserved and that witness memories won’t fade.
Contact Us Today
Contact an Orlando personal injury attorney at The Pendas Law Firm today for a free consultation if you are injured on a Florida hotel’s property. We will help you recover compensation for your injuries, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
The Pendas Law Firm also represents clients in the West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Miami, Tampa, Daytona Beach and Bradenton areas.
Resources:
flarecord.com/stories/511231645-guest-blames-orlando-hotel-s-negligence-for-raccoon-attack
flarecord.com/stories/511310321-guest-blames-orlando-resort-for-injuries
