As experienced DC hotel injury lawyers, how to stay safe in a hotel is at the forefront of our ethos. While much of what we do is reactive, we remain committed to advising DC residents and vacationers. Accordingly, learning how to stay safe at a DC hotel is imperative. Most hotels in Washington, D.C., provide an excellent and historic service. DC is home to some of the oldest hotels in the country, but that is not to say that they are state-of-the-art. The Hay-Adams, Rosewood, Conrad, Riggs, and plenty of others offer some of the finest hotel experiences in the world. But that does not mean you do not need to be vigilant. Negligence can occur at any of these hotels. All it takes is one negligent employee to cause a life-altering injury. Below are several tips you should consider when visiting our nation’s capital.
At Gelb & Gelb, P.C., we are dedicated to ensuring your stay is enjoyable and safe. While some things are out of your control, there are certain steps you can take to mitigate risk. These steps are critical to keep you and your family safe from harm. Whether on a trip with your family or here for work, you should be able to take in the city of DC without worrying about hazardous conditions. Fortunately, there are steps you can take from home, when you arrive, and during your stay. Our DC attorneys take seriously how to stay safe in a hotel. Having represented countless hotel accident victims previously, we understand how disruptive these injuries can be.
In some cases, you may be at the hospital for days after your injury, requiring months of follow-up care. While you are entitled to damages if this happens to you due to a hotel’s negligence, we prefer that it not happen at all.
Some hotel injuries are unavoidable due to gross negligence by hotel employees. However, staying safe in a hotel remains a top priority. Below, we provide tips for mitigating your risk of injury while staying at a hotel in DC.
Conduct thorough research before booking a stay. Look for recent reviews that mention cleanliness, safety features, and guest experiences related to security. If reviews consistently mention that hotel security is lacking based on the area, there is a strong likelihood that the hotel is behaving negligently. A hotel has a duty to provide a reasonably safe environment. If reviews consistently mention that hotel security is lacking, it means two things. First, it means that it is likely an unsafe area. Second, it means the hotel is not taking the security risk seriously. This is a theory of negligence that our DC hotel injury lawyers will pursue on your behalf if you are injured due to inadequate security at a hotel.
Additionally, contacting the hotel directly with any concerns during your research process is prudent. Ask about their current safety measures, emergency procedures, and any recent renovations that might affect your stay. Fire safety measures, accessibility features, and health standards like pest control are all things to consider when researching a DC hotel.
Once you are on the premises, inspect the hotel safety features you researched to ensure they are in place. If something feels off to you, you are likely right. Once you enter your room, ensure there is a functioning smoke detector. Look for a fire extinguisher and plan your emergency escape route in the event of a fire. Our hotel injury attorneys have considerable experience representing fire injury victims. At a hotel where you are unfamiliar with the layout of the building, especially when you are on a higher floor, you are vulnerable to this type of injury. Accordingly, we recommend walking through the hotel and orienting yourself to the hotel’s layout. Locate the main exits, stairwells, and emergency call points. Familiarity with the hotel layout can be crucial in an emergency.
You can do several things during your stay to prevent DC hotel injuries. First, use hotel safes to store valuables and important documents. This may include your wallet, passport, and anything else you deem valuable. The safes should also protect these valuables from fire or water damage. Second, maintain privacy and security. Do this by using the do not disturb sign on your door. Always verify the identity of anyone claiming to be hotel staff before allowing them entry into your room. Use caution anywhere in the hotel when interacting with staff until you know their identity.
Also, being cautious with amenities is a smart way to stay safe in a hotel. We have discussed in great detail the dangers of using negligently maintained amenities in a hotel. Exercise caution on the surface of a lobby, a hotel restaurant, a fitness center, an elevator, or anywhere else in a hotel. Ensure that areas are well-maintained and staff are present if needed. For example, there should be lifeguards present at DC hotels. If you get injured while in a hotel without a lifeguard on duty, you may have a case against the hotel if you are injured. Stay updated with hotel policy changes or emergency procedures during your stay. This is a vital way to stay informed. If the hotel communicates anything about health or safety, heed their warnings. They may be able to skirt liability by taking these steps.
If you are traveling to a DC hotel and are interested in preventing DC hotel injuries, this advice is for you. Once you arrive in your room, childproof the room as you would your home. Secure loose cords, cover electrical outlets, and place breakable or hazardous items outside children’s reach. Next, depending on your child’s age, you should discuss the dos and don’ts of staying in a hotel. Much of the advice your child should follow mirrors the advice discussed above. Of course, the advice needs to be adjusted to fit the child’s age. During your stay, maintain supervision of your child at all times. If you decide to let your child stay in a hotel’s daycare, our hotel injury lawyers stand ready should there be an act of negligence inside the daycare that causes your child harm.
During your departure from the hotel, perform a room sweep to ensure no personal items are left behind.
Reporting and handling incidents is an essential step in preventing DC hotel injuries. While it may not protect you if you are already injured, it does protect other hotel guests. Moreover, once the hotel is on notice, they have a heightened duty to rectify any hazard. Additionally, creating a record of the incident is critical if you intend to pursue a claim against the hotel for your injuries. Otherwise, there may not be sufficient evidence that your injury occurred at the hotel. Creating a record is critical. Also, in many hotel injury cases, the employees will say something to you that can benefit your case.
For example, an employee may say, “I have been meaning to clean up that spill.” This implies that they knew the hazard and failed to address it before you were injured. This satisfied one of the requisite elements by a preponderance of the evidence and is vital evidence in your case. Further, it falls under a hearsay exception and is admissible at trial.
Contact our office today to learn more about preventing DC hotel injuries or if you have a viable claim against a hotel in DC for personal injuries.
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