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Hotel Injury Lawyer
Let Alan Sackrin’s Experience Help You Avoid A Low Ball Settlement
Were you injured at a Florida hotel or resort?
Hotels have a legal duty to keep guests safe. When they fail, you may have a personal injury claim. Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney Alan Sackrin offers a free consultation. No fee unless we win.
Duty to Keep Hotel Guests Safe
Important Deadline: Florida’s statute of limitations for personal injury cases is two years from the date of injury. If you miss this deadline, you permanently lose the right to sue regardless of how strong your case is. Call Alan Sackrin at (954) 458-8655 for a free consultation.
People stay at hotels for a variety of reasons, including vacation, business, relocation, and temporary housing. In Florida, hotel property owners have a duty of care to make their property safe for their guests and patrons. Unfortunately, injuries occur at hotels and motels in a variety of ways (slip and falls, etc.) and when the injury is caused by a breach of that duty of care that is when the hotel or motel should be held responsible for its negligent behavior.
Jump to our hotel injury settlement values
Hotel Injury Claims Are Based Upon Premises Liability Law
Hotel liability claims and lawsuits in Florida are generally brought under the legal theory known as premises liability. Premises liability means that a property owner has a duty to keep the property safe from known dangerous conditions; conditions they knew or should have known were dangerous. Failure to maintain the property in a safe condition entitles the injured party to file a claim for negligence with the hotel or motel or its insurance company. A premises liability claim is a type of personal injury claim, which means the injured party is able to seek compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages.
Read (On our injury blog): Do You Have To Return To Florida To Pursue Your Hotel Negligence Claim?
Why Alan Sackrin and Why Can He Call Himself a Hotel Injury Lawyer?
Alan Sackrin is a Board Certified civil trial lawyer with over 40 years of experience pursuing personal injury cases. Over that time, Alan has filed over 750 lawsuits and has obtained over 100 jury verdicts. Alan has represented many local and out-of-state clients in all types of negligence-related claims against hotels and motels throughout the State of Florida.
Alan Can Help With Any of These 16 Common Hotel Injury Claims
Here is a list of 16 common hotel injury and accident issues which are the basis for most hotel-related personal injury lawsuits, including:
In hotel common elements, pool, health club, bath and shower, lobby and spa. Missing or damaged floor mats and lighting issues contribute to these claims. | Hotels have an obligation to ensure their facilities are suitable for occupancy. Failure to inspect and safeguard rooms against bed bugs is a breach of the warranty of habitability. |
Failure to patrol, maintain video surveillance, or protect guests from harm by other guests, non-guests, or staff. Hotels must provide well-lit parking and adequate security. | Theft and Robbery By staff, other guests, and patrons. Hotels can be held liable for failing to provide a secure environment for guests and their belongings. |
ADA Non-Compliance Failure to meet ADA standards and compliance requirements can result in injuries to guests with disabilities. | Identity Theft and Cyber-Crimes Credit card theft and cyber-crimes involving hotel guest data and payment systems. |
Fitness Center Negligence Failure to post rules and regulations, inadequate signage, and faulty equipment are common bases for fitness center injury claims. | Hotel restaurants, room service, and catering can be the source of food poisoning and foodborne illness claims against the hotel. |
Pool and Swimming Accidents Improperly supervised or maintained pools can lead to incidents ranging from slip and fall injuries to drowning. Hotels have a duty to ensure pool safety. | Poor lighting in hallways, stairwells, parking areas, and common spaces is a frequent contributing factor in hotel slip and fall accidents. |
Broken Furniture Broken chairs and other commonly used furniture are a frequent basis for hotel negligence claims when guests are injured as a result. | Hotels must provide adequate lighting in stairways and maintain these areas properly, especially during inclement weather. |
Falls, assaults, and vehicle-related accidents in hotel parking lots and garages where adequate lighting and security were not maintained. | Elevator and Escalator Injuries Malfunctioning equipment and lapses in safety mechanisms lead to clothing entanglements, door malfunctions, and falls from escalators and elevators. |
Heat and chlorine burns in jacuzzis, bathrooms, and kitchenettes. Hotels can prevent these injuries by monitoring hot water thermostats and chlorine levels. | General Hotel Negligence Any negligent act or omission by hotel staff, management, or ownership that results in injury to a guest may be the basis for a premises liability claim. |
Hotel Injury Settlement Values
Alan Sackrin has helped clients recover significant compensation for hotel injuries throughout South Florida. Settlement values depend on the nature and severity of the injury and whether surgery was required. Here are representative ranges from Alan’s 40+ years of cases:
Ankle Injuries $45,000 — $175,000 With surgery: avg. $175,000 · Without surgery: avg. $45,000 | Wrist Injuries $31,000 — $125,000 With surgery: avg. $125,000 · Without surgery: avg. $31,000 |
Herniated or Bulging Disc $50,000 — $200,000 With surgery: avg. $200,000 · Without surgery: avg. $50,000 | Shoulder Injuries $37,000 — $150,000 With surgery: avg. $150,000 · Without surgery: avg. $37,000 |
Chlorine Burn (Jacuzzi or Pool) Avg. $40,000 From hotel jacuzzi or pool chemical exposure | Significant Sprain or Strain Avg. $20,000 From slip and fall with significant soft tissue injury |
Significant Scarring Avg. $35,000 From hotel shower or bathtub slip and fall | Hotel Negligence (Broken Furniture etc.) Avg. $40,000 Injuries from broken furniture and general hotel negligence |
*These are average hotel injury settlement values: some cases will settle for a lot more and some for less. Also, the average does not include an amount for property damage reimbursement, if any. My opinion of value is based upon the large number of cases I have settled or won at trial during my 40+ years as a personal injury lawyer, my review of jury verdict reporters, industry trade publications, including claim reports from large insurance companies, as well as talking with other personal injury lawyers whose opinion I respect. My estimate is for illustrative purposes only and should not be relied upon as each case is unique and each case should be evaluated on its own merits.
Representing clients who have been injured in hotels and motels throughout South Florida, including the Diplomat in Hollywood, The Loews on Miami Beach, the W Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, and many other hotels and motels in the tri-county area.
Read (From our injury blog):
- Hotel Shower and Bathroom Slip and Falls
- Reasons To Sue A Hotel For Negligence
- How to Prove a Slip and Fall Claim at Disney World (Updated)
If You Were Just Injured at a Florida Hotel — Here Is What Matters for Your Claim
Hotels and their insurance carriers begin building their defense the moment an injury is reported. Their risk management teams are trained to limit liability from day one. Here is what you need to do to protect your claim.
1. Report the incident to hotel management in writing before you leave the property.
Ask for the manager, report the accident, and request a written incident report. Get the manager’s name and ask for a copy. If they refuse, write down who you spoke with and the time. Do not leave without documenting that you reported it.
2. Photograph the scene and the hazard immediately.
Document the exact location, the dangerous condition (wet floor, broken fixture, missing mat, poor lighting, defective equipment), any signage that was or was not present, and all visible injuries. Hotels repair hazardous conditions quickly — sometimes within hours of an incident report.
3. Request that the hotel preserve all surveillance footage.
Tell management in writing — or have your attorney do so immediately — that all video footage of the area and surrounding corridors must be preserved. Hotels routinely overwrite footage on a 24 to 72-hour cycle. Once it is gone, it cannot be recovered.
4. Seek medical attention the same day — even if the hotel offers to help.
Hotel staff may offer to call their own medical personnel. You are not obligated to use them. See your own doctor or go to an emergency room. An independent medical record created the same day is critical evidence. A gap in treatment is one of the most common ways insurance companies minimize claims.
5. Get contact information from any witnesses before leaving.
Other guests, hotel employees who were nearby, anyone who saw the condition or the accident. Do not assume the hotel will provide their names later — they will not.
6. Do not sign anything the hotel or their insurance company presents.
This includes any form described as a release, an acknowledgment, or a statement. Hotels sometimes present documents to injured guests before they understand their rights. Do not sign anything without speaking with Alan first.
Florida’s statute of limitations for hotel injury cases is two years from the date of the incident. Do not wait. Surveillance footage disappears within days, conditions get repaired, and witnesses become impossible to locate. The sooner Alan is involved, the stronger your position.
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