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Serving the Injured throughout Connecticut

Hotels are just like other commercial businesses – they can be held liable for any injuries to guests, as well as held liable for any negligent acts by their employees. If you have been injured at a hotel or resort in Connecticut, it is important to understand your rights, and also know what elements are required in order to successfully bring a claim against said hotel or resort.

Establishing Negligence

In order to hold that hotel responsible for your injuries, you must establish that it was negligent. Similar to other personal injury claims, there are four elements required for doing so:

1. Establishing that the hotel owed you a duty of care.
2. Showing that the duty of care was breached.
3. Proving that the breach of duty was the direct cause of your injuries.
4. Showing that you suffered damages as a result of that breach and injury.

To better understand such requirements, you will need to delve into each element further.

Duty to a Guest

A hotel has a general duty to offer reasonable care in operating their business and hosting their guests. Hotel guests are considered “invitees” to the property; therefore, they are entitled to the highest amount of protection under the statute. The hotel must inspect, maintain, and repair the grounds. They must quickly repair dangerous conditions and take affirmative steps to protect their guests from any reasonably discoverable hazards or known hazards on the premises.

Just some responsibilities that a hotel will have in order to maintain a safe premise for their guests include:

• Controlling insect and rodent infestations.
• Maintaining proper security – to protect against assaults and theft.
• Exercising reasonable care when hiring and training staff members.
• Maintaining all premises, including performing regular maintenance as well as promptly repairing hazards.
• Maintaining locks on all doors.

Breach of Duties

When a hotel does not inspect and/or keep the premises within a reasonable limit or they fail to warn about dangerous conditions, they have breached their duty. For example, if a hotel is infested with bed bugs because of unsanitary conditions, the hotel has breached their duty by allowing such an infestation.

Breach of Duty Led to Injuries

In order to have a successful case, you must show that the hotel’s breach actually led to your injury. It must be reasonably foreseeable to the defendant that an injury was likely to occur and that their actions (or inactions) could have harmed someone.

Damages

The plaintiff must show that they have damages as a result of the defendant’s negligence, including but not limited to medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, etc.

Recovering Damages – Contact an Attorney

If you have been injured on the property of a hotel or resort in Connecticut, premise liability law will take over. It is important that you speak with a Connecticut personal injury attorney to explore your options and ensure that you are holding the proper party accountable for your injuries.

Contact Berkowitz and Hanna LLC today to schedule a no-obligation case evaluation.