Long Island Hotel Accident Lawyer

When you checked into a hotel, the last thing on your mind was going to the hospital and dealing with medical bills. Still, countless hotel accidents happen each year, with some resulting in life-altering conditions. If you were hurt while visiting a hotel, you may have the right to financial compensation. Find out how to get started on your case when you reach out to a Long Island hotel accident lawyer at Rosenberg & Gluck, L.L.P. for help.

How Do Hotel Accidents Happen?

Hotel accidents happen when property owners don’t keep their premises safe for guests. Slip and falls are among the common accidents in hotels. These incidents happen due to slippery floors, unanchored carpeting, broken tiles, and other hazards. Some other accidents that happen in hotels include:

• Drowning (or near-fatal drowning) in swimming pools
• Falls down stairs
• Hot tub and swimming pool accidents
• Broken furniture
• Poor lighting
• Burns from hot water
• Assaults due to negligent security measures
• Poor lighting
• Gas leaks and carbon monoxide poisoning

Food poisoning can also happen in hotels when food isn’t stored properly or meat isn’t cooked to the right temperature. In each of these incidents, injured claimants have legal recourse options.

Hotel Accidents Can Cause Serious Injuries

Hotel accidents can result in life-threatening conditions. Even seemingly minor accidents can cause serious complications. Some examples of hotel accident injuries include:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Spinal cord trauma
• Broken and fractured bones
• Nerve damage
• Internal bleeding
• Organ damage
• Burns
• Disfigurement
• The loss of one or more limbs
• Psychological trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Lacerations

You can recover compensation for your necessary healthcare costs following an accident at a hotel. Even if you don’t have health insurance, compensation could allow you to seek much-needed treatment.

Hotel Accidents Happen on Long Island and Throughout New York

Hotel accidents seldom make the news, but when they do, they generally involve serious injuries. Some recent hotel accidents that made it on the news include:

• NBC New York reports that a hotel employee fell from a high-story window in the line of work. He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was called in to investigate the incident.
• This year, a hotel resident fell nine stories after falling off his balcony. He survived the fall but now has multiple disabilities.

These are just a handful of the stories detailing how hotel accidents happen and hurt people. You’re not alone after suffering an injury at a hotel. There are many people who’ve been in situations like yours and sought legal help.

Hotels Aren’t Just Hiltons

The gig economy has brought many people into the vacation business. This has given guests more options when planning long- or short-term stays. You can seek damages if you were hurt while staying at a(n):

• Airbnb
• Vrbo
• Sonder

Property owners accept liability for any injuries once they allow guests to stay on the premises. Many have coverage through the rental platform. For instance, Airbnb offers hosts up to $1 million for anything that happens on the property.

Liability Generally Rests With a Property Owner

As noted, the hotel’s owner generally bears liability for any injuries that happen on the property. However, the property owner in your case may deny liability, asserting that your own negligence caused the accident. In this situation, a personal injury lawyer can gather evidence and establish:

• The property owner had a duty of care to keep their hotel free of hazards.
• They failed to remedy a hazard or warn others of its existence.
• You suffered injuries.
• You have damages.

Once your lawyer establishes these elements, they can send your demand letter and request that you receive compensation.

Can Another Party Have Liability?

Another party could have liability for your losses based on your accident’s details. For instance, imagine you were electrocuted when using the in-room phone. In that case, you could pursue the manufacturer of the phone for damages. Sometimes, multiple parties have liability for one accident. If that’s the case, a law firm can hold each of them accountable.

Considerations After Suffering a Hotel Accident

There are many considerations after being in a hotel accident on Long Island. Each of the considerations below could guide your case to a fair outcome. To promote your case’s outcome (and your personal well-being), you should:

Notify the Hotel’s Management of the Incident

You should tell the hotel’s staff that you suffered injuries in an accident. Here, they can file an accident report that details the time, date, and location of the incident. Your lawyer can use the accident report as evidence to support your case. It also prevents the hotel’s management from arguing that your accident didn’t happen on the premises.

Take Photos of the Hazard

If you’re still at the accident scene, take photos of the hazard that led to your injuries. Photos could include pictures of a freshly waxed floor, debris in a walkway, or a collapsed balcony. It’s critical that you document the accident scene if you can. Once the hotel learns of your accident, its employees may do everything possible to remove the hazard and discredit your story.

Seek Medical Care and Follow Through With Your Treatment Plan

Ideally, by the time you read this, you’ve already sought medical attention. If not, you should do so immediately. Some conditions, such as traumatic brain injuries, don’t immediately manifest symptoms. Seeking medical attention documents that you suffered an injury and puts you on the road to wellness. You should also follow your treatment plan to the best of your ability. This may require attending physical therapy, taking certain medications, and refraining from certain activities. Following your doctor’s orders shows the involved parties that you’re committed to making a full recovery and should obtain compensation.

Refrain From Sharing Any Information Online About the Accident

After suffering serious injuries in a hotel accident, you may want to share your story online. This may involve posting to social media, leaving a negative review, or otherwise sharing information digitally. Each of these things can hurt your case and give the liable party more reason to discredit your allegations. You should also avoid posting any photos of yourself, even those that are old. A picture of you smiling on the beach could contradict the information you share about your condition’s severity.

Refer All Settlement Offers to Your Personal Injury Lawyer

The hotel’s owner may immediately offer compensation in the aftermath of your accident. They do this hoping to resolve your case cheaply and quickly. Yet, without completing treatment, there’s no way to know about your condition’s severity and what you’re really owed. When a personal injury attorney takes your hotel accident case, they calculate your losses based on:

• Your damages’ bills, invoices, and receipts
• The severity of your condition
• Your estimated recovery period
• Your time missed from work
• The treatment you required
• The extent of the other party’s negligence
• Whether you now have a lifelong or long-term disability

Your personal injury lawyer may also speak with third-party field consultants to learn more about what you’re owed. For instance, they may consult doctors to learn more about the full cost of your anticipated care costs. They may also speak with economists to gain further insight into cost-of-living increases, inflation, and other factors that could affect your damages’ cost.

Refuse to Give a Recorded Statement

Once you’ve given the insurer all basic information regarding your case, it shouldn’t ask for a recorded statement. Doing so only allows the claims adjuster to devalue your losses or find a problem with your claim. You might think that giving a recorded statement is your opportunity to share your side of the story. It’s not. It’s a thinly veiled tactic that attorneys are all too familiar with. Your personal injury lawyer can give the insurer all the information it needs to move forward with your case.

Consider Prompt Legal Action

New York law imposes a filing deadline on all civil lawsuits. You generally have three years to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. Some exceptions may shorten the deadline, like if you’re suing a municipality. It’s important to act within the applicable time frame because, if you don’t, you could lose the right to seek damages through litigation. A personal injury lawyer can file your case within the correct period and manage everything else a lawsuit entails.

Commonly Asked Questions About Hotel Accidents on Long Island

As you consider legal representation, you may have many questions about hotel accidents. Here are some of the answers to those questions below. If you have concerns about issues specific to your circumstances, you should consider connecting with an attorney in your area.

What Damages Can I Seek Through a Hotel Accident Claim?

You can pursue both economic and non-economic damages following your accident. Economic damages account for financial losses, such as:

• Healthcare expenses
• Lost income and other sources of revenue
• Loss of future earning capacity
• Out-of-pocket expenses related to your condition

Your non-economic damages reflect your personal injury-related challenges. Examples include:

• Pain and suffering and inconvenience
• Disability
• Scarring
• Disfigurement

Many people ask: “How much can I recover for non-economic damages?” The answer really depends on your situation. Your injury lawyer may consider the unique facts of your situation to determine what you deserve. Many states do not cap how much you can seek for these losses, so there’s no limit to what you can recover.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Many injury firms help injured people on a contingency-fee basis. In this arrangement, clients pay nothing upfront for legal help. They don’t have to worry about retainers or hourly rates, either. That’s because their attorneys finance everything their case needs to reach a fair conclusion, such as filing and consulting costs. Then, once the case ends, your lawyer may request their attorney’s fees from the funds they’ve secured for you.

What Happens If the Insurer Refuses to Cover My Damages?

If the insurer refuses to cover your damages, you can file a lawsuit against the property owner. As noted, you must adhere to certain deadlines when pursuing a lawsuit. You must also give a statement, furnish evidence of your losses, and argue your case. A personal injury lawyer can manage this process while you focus on getting better. They want you to have the time and energy necessary to make the best possible recovery.

Why Would the Insurer Deny My Claim?

Like hotels, insurance companies exist to make money. So, the claims adjuster may look for any reason to deny your claim and impede the claims process. They may allege:

• You’re not as seriously injured as you claim.
• The accident didn’t happen on the hotel’s property.
• You missed your claim’s filing deadline.
• You’re attempting to commit insurance fraud.
• Your own negligence caused the accident.

If an insurer denies your claim, it must give a written reason why. This allows you to appeal the decision and continue seeking damages.

How Soon Could I Recover Damages After Getting Hurt?

After resolving these cases through negotiations, injured people generally receive their compensation within a few days or a few weeks of settling. Your lawyer hopes to recover compensation for your losses as soon as possible. That way, you can get the money you need to pay for your healthcare expenses and other injury-related damages.

What’s the Most Common Injury in Hotel Accident Claims?

Summit is an insurance company that processes many hotel accident claims. Its findings report that back strains are the leading type of hotel accident injury, accounting for 22 percent of all injuries. Other injuries that top the list include lacerations, fractures, and soft-tissue trauma.

What Can I Expect During My Free Case Review?

Case review may suggest a long, drawn-out case examination. But that’s not the case. Your free case review is instead an informal discussion between you and a legal representative. Here, they want to learn about your situation, including the nature of your accident and the injuries you suffered. Then, they can explain the benefits of partnering with a personal injury lawyer. This conversation gives you all the information you need to make informed decisions about moving forward.

How Will I Receive Compensation?

If the liable party offers a settlement, you could get compensation all at once or as a structured settlement. When you get a lump sum, your lawyer gets the check, withdraws their attorney’s fees, and then gives you the rest. In a structured settlement, you would receive periodic payments until you get compensation for the full scope of your damages. Seeking financial recovery can get complicated. That’s why personal injury firms offer comprehensive legal support to those in your shoes. You shouldn’t have to manage a complex legal case while healing from your condition. You deserve to focus on your well-being and future.

You Have Legal Rights After Suffering a Hotel Accident

You don’t have to dip into your savings to pay for your injury-related losses. Instead, you can partner with an attorney and hold the liable party accountable for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages. Remember: these cases come with filing deadlines, and some evidence won’t remain available forever. With those things in mind, you should consider partnering with a lawyer at your earliest convenience. You can learn about your legal options now.

Meet With a Hotel Accident Lawyer on Long Island Today

The insurance and tort claims process following a hotel accident can be intimidating. But when you have a Long Island hotel accident lawyer at Rosenberg & Gluck, L.L.P. advocating for your rights, you can feel confident in your decision to seek justice. When you are ready to get started on your case, give our office a call at (631) 451-7900 to schedule your no-cost, risk-free consultation.