Hotel Slip and Fall Accidents
If you have been injured in a slip and fall at a hotel, you may be able to recover financial compensation for your pain and suffering as well as for past and future economic damages to pay for your medical bills and to replace income and wages you have lost because of your injuries
No matter where your slip and fall occurred, our team of nationally recognized attorneys can help. Our attorneys represent clients in Michigan and all over the country. If your slip and fall occurred outside of Michigan, our attorneys can work with an attorney in your state, or if we are unable to help you, we can connect you to an experienced premises liability lawyer close to you who has the experience and reputation to get you full compensation and the maximum possible settlement.
Understanding Michigan Slip and Fall Laws for Hotel Accidents
Under Michigan’s slip and fall laws, a hotel’s duty to protect you and make the premises safe for you stems from the fact that you are the hotel’s “invitee,” i.e., a paying guest. The reasoning is that because the hotel has invited you to be its guest for the hotel’s own “commercial benefit,” the hotel should be required to protect you and make sure the property and premises are safe for you.
This duty that the hotel owes to you as a guest is much greater than the duty of care the hotel may owe to someone who is visiting for social purposes or to a trespasser.
Determining a Hotel's Liability for Guest Injuries
Determining whether a hotel is liable for a guest’s injuries from a slip and fall accident largely depends on whether the hotel breached its duty to protect its guests from a dangerous condition on the property. Under Michigan law, a hotel has “a duty to exercise reasonable care to protect” a guest – or someone doing business with the hotel – “from an unreasonable risk of harm caused by a dangerous condition” on the hotel’s property. (M Civ JI 19.03)
A hotel has failed to “make the premises safe” for its guests – as required by the Michigan Supreme Court’s decision in Stitt v. Holland – if the hotel has failed to do any or all of the following:
- Inspect the premises
- Make necessary repairs
- Warn hotel guests about known dangers and discovered hazards
Proving Negligence in Hotel Slip and Fall Accidents
To prove that a hotel’s negligence caused the slip and fall accident that resulted in your injuries – or the fatal injuries that took your loved one’s life – you must show that: (1) the hotel had a duty to protect you and make its premises safe for you, (2) the hotel failed to make its premises safe and, thus, failed to protect you, (3) the hotel’s failure to protect you was the cause of your accident, and (4) you suffered pain and suffering and other noneconomic damages as well as economic damages, such as past and future medical bills and lost wages and earnings. (M Civ JI 16.02A)
Importance of Retaining a Personal Injury Lawyer
Working with experienced slip and fall accident attorneys who specialize exclusively in this area of the law can make all the difference for getting you the best possible settlement in your case. Our attorneys have the specialized knowledge, skill and “know how” to use the law to protect you and get you full compensation for injuries.
We will help you identify all of the responsible parties whose negligence caused or contributed to your accident and we will bring to light all of their financial resources, assets and insurance coverages that can be used to pay the compensation and money damages you are legally owed.
Steps to Take After a Hotel Slip and Fall
The steps you take after a fall in a hotel are vital to protecting your rights in the days ahead. Immediately after the accident, even while still at the scene, take pictures and collect witness testimonies. These will serve as critical evidence as you move forward.
Then, report your accident to the hotel’s staff, but do not admit any fault. They will need to make a claim with their insurance or report the accident to their management team, and admitting fault could put their rights at risk. Make sure to get a copy of the accident report. Seek medical attention as soon as you are able.
Next, you should speak with an experienced slip and fall lawyer to protect your legal rights and help you get the full compensation for your case. As you look to begin the legal process, keep careful records of all evidence surrounding your case, including your medical reports.
Do not sign any settlements or statements without first speaking to your attorney. Remember, getting a medical evaluation and talking to an attorney are the most important first steps after an accident. Both of these will start your evidence trail and give you the right tools to heal.
Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents in Hotels
Hotels have many hazards that could put you at risk of a slip and fall accident. They include:
- Gym and workout areas due to equipment
- Pools and spas due to slippery floors
- Stairwells due to stairs and lighting
- Bathrooms due to slippery and wet floors
- Parking lots due to tripping hazards and lighting
- Outdoor sidewalks due to ice, snow, or rain
- Restaurants and cafes due to spills
- Furniture in the guestrooms can create a tripping hazard
- Hallways with heavy foot traffic can end up with loose tiles or poor lighting
- Poorly maintained flooring
- Excessive use of floor wax
- Accumulation of precipitation
- Poor lighting in common areas and stairwells
- Loose floor mats in entryways
Common Injuries from a Slip and Fall at a Hotel
The most common types of slip and fall injuries that occur in a hotel include:
- Concussions
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Broken limbs
- Dislocations
- Knee and shoulder injuries
- Sprains and bruises
- Lacerations
- Back and neck injuries
With injuries to the back or neck, more serious complications develop. A severe injury to the spine could lead to lifelong pain or paralysis, and brain injuries can result in permanent brain damage and impaired cognition.
These injuries may show up in the days, weeks or months after the incident, so getting medical and legal attention promptly when you are injured at a hotel is critically important.
Seeking Compensation and Legal Help after a Hotel Fall
If you have suffered a slip and fall injury in a hotel, you have the right to seek compensation from the hotel under the premises liability laws. Although you have the legal right to pursue your case on your own, hiring an experienced slip and fall attorney substantially increases the chances that you will win a settlement that actually reflects the full compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Before agreeing to any settlement offered by the hotel or its insurance provider – and before signing anything or making any statements to the hotel or its insurer – talk to an attorney who is looking out for your best interests.
Potential Compensation from Hotel Slip and Fall Claims
Your potential compensation will depend largely on the facts of your case. But the the most important factors that influence compensation and money damages for a slip and fall case include:
- How clearly the evidence establishes the hotel’s liability
- The nature and extent of your injuries
- The extent to which you cannot resume living your normal pre-accident life because of your injury-related disabilities
- What your medical care needs are now and will be in the future
- How much you have lost in wages and earnings in the past – and how much you will lose in the future
- The liability insurance coverage of the hotel – as well as its financial resources and assets
Contact Our Michigan Slip and Fall Law Firm
You do not have to go it alone after your slip and fall accident. Let the experienced attorneys at Michigan Slip and Fall Lawyers help you get the full compensation and legal help you need.
Regardless of where your hotel slip and fall accident occurred, our nationally recognized lawyers can help. We represent clients like you here in Michigan and throughout the country.
We can co-counsel with the best lawyers in the state where you were injured or we can refer you to a lawyer who has the experience, specialized knowledge and “fight” to get you the full compensation you deserve on your case.
Contact us now for your free, no-cost, no-obligation consultation with one of our outstanding slip and fall attorneys.
Our team is here for you and you only pay when we win.
MICHIGAN SLIP AND FALL LAWYERS
Frequently Asked Questions About Hotel Slip and Fall Accidents
To get answers to your questions, please read our FAQs or call us for a free consultation now for immediate help.
Can you sue a hotel if you fall on their property?
If you slip and fall at the hotel premises, and that fall was due to the negligence of the hotel owner, you can file a lawsuit against the property owner.
What do you do if you are injured at a hotel?
If you suffer an injury in a hotel, take pictures and witness statements from the scene and report the accident to the hotel staff. Get medical attention immediately, and then call an attorney to learn about your rights.
How do you prove a hotel is negligent?
The best way to prove a hotel was negligent in causing your slip and fall injury is to work with a slip and fall accident attorney who understands the laws in your area surrounding premises liability. Taking photos of the scene of an accident, getting witness information, filling out an accident report, and getting prompt medical attention can also help.
What is the reasonable care rule for hotels?
Under the “reasonable care” rule in Michigan’s premises liability laws, hotels and other property owners have “a duty to exercise reasonable care to protect” their guests and customers “from an unreasonable risk of harm caused by a dangerous condition of the land,” according to the Michigan Supreme Court’s ruling in Kandil-Elsayed vs. F&E Oil, Inc., and Pinsky vs. Kroger Company of Michigan