Our DC hotel injury attorneys have vast experience representing victims of fire safety and burn injuries in DC hotels. Despite rigorous safety standards to protect vacationers and those traveling for work, hotels still err. Unfortunately, these errors can lead to drastic consequences. As we will explore, the types of burn injuries in hotel fires can be devastating. They can lead to lung issues, severe burns, and even death. Beyond that, the damages you may suffer can cause economic and noneconomic damages related to the reason you are staying at a DC hotel in the first place. You may miss that important job interview. Your family may lose its opportunity to enjoy Washington, D.C., on vacation. You are entitled to compensation for this beyond the physical injuries you suffer.
Fire safety and burn injuries in DC hotels remain at the forefront of our practice. As DC hotel injury lawyers and burn injury attorneys, we understand the burden of dealing with such a painful injury. While many of the hotels in DC offer opportunities to experience picturesque and historic buildings, that does not come without risk. Despite that risk, hotels have an obligation to keep up with modern safety standards. A failure to do so may lead to a per se negligence claim. A per se negligence claim refers to when a hotel violates a statute, and that violation leads to your injury. This is the most common basis for liability against a hotel for burn injuries. In some cases, a fire is not due to any fault of the hotel.
It can be difficult to distinguish who is at fault for a large-scale fire. Fortunately, our fire safety attorneys are committed to investigating hotel fires and determining fault so you can recover the compensation you deserve.
An electrical issue is the first of the many common causes of fire safety and burn injuries in DC hotels. The fire department can show an electrical problem in their investigation, which is a surefire way to establish liability against the hotel. While it may not be the hotel’s fault, this is likely a nondelegable duty for which they cannot avoid liability. Overloaded power outlets, aged or poorly maintained wiring, and defective electrical devices can all create fire hazards and lead to theories of liability against the hotel for negligence. Electrical issues can easily be overlooked. However, all hotels must maintain a safe electrical system for guests.
A kitchen fire is a problem for fire safety and burn injuries in DC hotels. Fortunately, it is easier to establish liability against a hotel for negligence in the kitchen. In some instances, the hotel may attempt to argue that the hotel and restaurant are separate entities. Whether they are successful in this defense should be taken on a case-by-case basis. Lack of regular maintenance and cleaning of exhaust systems can accumulate grease, a significant fire hazard. Moreover, simple negligence by a chef overwhelmed by the busy season at a hotel can be sufficient to cause a kitchen fire in a DC hotel.
Unlike the former two scenarios, arson is likely not a basis for liability against the hotel. Unless the hotel had reason to know or suspect that someone intended to commit arson against the hotel and failed to act accordingly, the hotel is likely not responsible for the intentional act of a third party. Of course, if we can argue that the hotel failed to react to the arson appropriately, then we may have a successful argument. For example, if the hotel’s smoke detectors malfunctioned, which led to more significant damages, this may be worth pursuing, depending on the nature of your injuries.
Suing a hotel for fire safety and burn injuries in DC hotels related to smoking follows a similar theory of negligence as arson. In some hotels, smoking is permissible, but this does not inherently lead to per se negligence against the hotel for fire safety and burn injuries in DC hotels. However, this does not necessarily mean the hotel acted negligently.
To establish liability against the hotel for a fire caused by smoking, we must prove that the hotel was negligent in some manner and that that negligence was a proximate cause of your injuries. So, if a hotel guest passes out with a lit cigarette in their hotel room, and the smoke detector malfunctions, then the hotel may be liable. However, because of the hotel’s negligence in maintaining its smoke detector, a fire at the hotel may have been avoided. Accordingly, we may be able to establish liability against the hotel.
Before seeking compensation for fire safety and burn injuries in DC hotels, we must establish liability against the hotel. To do this, we need to prove the hotel behaved negligently in some manner. Then, we must prove that its negligence was the proximate cause of your damages. Typically, we can do this by showing that the hotel acted negligently, which caused you third-degree burns. However, fire safety and burn injuries in DC hotels can be complex. We may have to hire our own investigators and expert witnesses to establish how the fire started and in what ways the hotel was negligent. But once we can demonstrate that the hotel behaved negligently, we turn to recovering your compensation. Proving damages is required in any type of personal injury lawsuit. We do not simply receive compensation because a hotel is negligent.
We look at your medical expenses, lost wages, and physical injury to determine what your case is worth. Ultimately, settling a case requires some degree of speculation. This is because one jury at trial may hold a verdict for what your case is worth that differs from the next jury. However, we can still apply the formula of economic damages plus noneconomic damages.
These damages include your past and future medical expenses, plus your lost wages and loss of future earning capacity because of your injuries. For example, if your burn injuries from the DC hotel cause permanent scarring on your face, and large scars on your face damage your ability to earn an income, that is a form of economic damage. Moreover, you may require pain medications to handle the physical pain you are in from the fire. Even if you pay for that medication with health insurance, your insurer will demand reimbursement out of any recovery. Our DC hotel injury attorneys account for this when calculating your economic damages.
You are also entitled to noneconomic damages for a burn on your face. Of course, this is a painful injury, and you are entitled to compensation to make you whole for your pain. Additionally, you may feel embarrassment for having a scar on your face. If you are a younger individual, you may find it more difficult to find a spouse. This is also accounted for in our calculation of your noneconomic damages.
To learn more about fire safety and burn injuries in DC hotels, contact our attorneys today at (202) 331-7227.
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