Q: My husband slipped and fell on a wet floor at the hotel we were staying at. He broke his elbow.
When we asked the hotel for help paying the medical bills they said it wasn't their responsibility because they contract out for their cleaning and the cleaners weren't hotel employees. Is this true?
A: The hotel's wrong. It's potentially liable for anything that happens on its property. The cleaning service might be liable too. Whether there's a case against either depends upon the specific facts of your husband's fall. To investigate this further, you'd need to schedule a meeting with a premises liability/personal injury lawyer for a more in-depth review.
A: The hotel likely has insurance to cover medical bills. You may have to hire a lawyer to obtain the insurance information. But without the lawyer's help apparently the hotel does not want to provide this information. You're being reasonable and they aren't. It's that simple.
A: The hotel may or may not be liable for the accident; the hotel staff may or may not have been negligent, it depends on what was on the floor, how it got there and how long the floor was wet. This is not a case of strict liability, it is one of a defect in the property (which wetness may be) and how the hotel's staff reacted to it. If your husband was the one who caused the wetness then liability on the part of the hotel may not exist and your husband's negligence may be greater and thus there could be no claim that would be successful.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
