Coy H. Browning
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Coy H. Browning has recovered millions of dollars for his clients in jury verdicts and settlements.

Ah, summer. Finally, it is that time of year once again! The school year is coming to a close, and the children are once again free from the stress and responsibilities the school year entails. This means a lot of families are busy planning their trips to Disney, beaches, and other destination spots in sunny Florida. They are either going to pack up the family car or hop on a plane to head south for a few days.

There are not a whole lot of things more exciting than a summer Families are busy planning their tripsvacation. Some of us look forward to it all year long and save up for it, allocating a portion of our monthly salaries for our vacation fund. We meticulously plan every aspect of it from our outfits, down to our accessories and shoes. We buy new beachwear, such as bikinis and swim shorts, sunscreen to protect ourselves from the harmful rays of the sun, and beach toys for the kids. We make hotel reservations and count the days until we leave.

Given all the excitement and preparation, and money it takes to plan the perfect summer vacation, you can imagine how devastating it can be to suffer a personal injury while on vacation. When we make our reservations at a hotel in Florida, the last thing we think about is getting hurt. We figure we will enjoy ourselves by the swimming pool, order some room service and make some lasting memories as a family.

However, there is a bit of good news (if you can call it that). If you, or any member of your family, do get hurt while on vacation in Florida, there are experienced personal injury lawyers in Fort Walton Beach who can help.

 

What are Some of the Different Types of Hotel Injuries?

When we go on vacation, most of us choose to stay in hotels or motels. Sure, some of us have an RV or choose to go camping. Some even opt for Airbnbs. But, for the most part, we like to stay in hotels when we go to Florida for the comfort and convenience that they offer. Unless we’re stopping overnight on the drive down, we are most likely to stay in one of the larger, chain hotels.

When we go on a trip, we like to choose a hotel that has all the amenities we want. On the top of the list of the things we look for when making a hotel reservation is a swimming pool. There is nothing better than spending the afternoon lounging by the pool as the kids swim to their hearts’ content. Another thing that we want a hotel to have is a gym. For some of us, working out is more important when we are on vacation because we are eating so much more than we usually do, trying out the hotel buffet offerings and other local delicacies.

Regardless of what you look for in a hotel, or where you choose to stay, you have the right to be kept safe. Hotel managers and operators have an obligation to offer their guests safe and clean accommodations. When they are not mindful of this obligation to their guests, people get hurt.

Below are some of the more common types of hotel injuries:

  • Pool Accidents
  • Slip and falls
  • Premises liability injuries
  • Inadequate security

 If you or any member of your family suffer any of these types of injuries, you need to call a personal injury lawyer in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

What Happens if You Suffer a Pool Injury?

One of the most important and popular amenities at a hotel in Fort Walton Beach is a swimming pool. People look forward to going swimming when they go on vacation. This is especially true when you are in hot and sunny Florida.

Hotels are required to have lifeguards on duty when their pool is open. Hotel guests, especially children, love to go swimming. They have the right to expect the presence of a competent and experienced lifeguard on duty when they do this. These lifeguards are tasked to prevent pool accidents.

As a precaution, hotels typically post signs with the pool hours. You can’t expect them to have a lifeguard on duty when the pool is closed. However, when the pool is open, you have a right to feel safe. If your kids are in the pool, there needs to be a lifeguard close by who can save them if they are in trouble.

You also have a right to swim in a clean pool. Hotels have a duty to make sure their pools are clean. This means they should use enough chemicals to kill bacteria but not too much chemicals either as that can be harmful your skin.

It is also important that the hotel management keep the pool free of debris. This includes dead animals (such as birds and insects) and human waste. You’d be surprised at how many people get sick from things like this being left in a public pool.

One sign to know that a pool is clean is by looking at the water inside it. If the water is clear, then it most likely is clean, as opposed to the water being green in color as water tends to be when it has not been cleaned in a while. Another way to tell if a pool is clean is by checking how it smells. Pools that are regularly cleaned should have a distinctly chlorinated smell.

If you or your kids get hurt in any sort of pool accident, the hotel owners may be held liable. You need to contact a personal injury lawyer in Florida right away. They can protect your rights and make sure you receive the compensation you deserve.

A Lot of Guests Suffer Slip and Fall Injuries at a Hotel

Just like any other business owner, hotel managers are required toA Lot of Guests Suffer Slip and Fall Injuries at a Hotel maintain clean floors for their guests. This means that other than the general absence of dirt and mud from the floors, these floors should also be kept dry at all times. Given the amount of open space in a hotel, there is a lot of work that goes into keeping them clean and dry.

When walking through the hotel lobby, you need to be careful. These floors are mopped and waxed constantly in order to keep them shiny. A common business practice among owners of establishments is the conspicuous placement of caution signs and barricades when certain areas are being cleaned and waxed. However, this is not practiced by all. This means there is always the chance that the floor could be slippery and you are in danger of falling or slipping because of the absence of a warning.

If you fall on the lobby floor or in any other common area in the hotel, you may suffer some pretty serious injuries. Some of these injuries include:

  • Sprained foot or hand
  • Broken legs or arms
  • Head injuries
  • Back injuries
  • Knee injuries
  • Internal injuries
  • Traumatic brain injury

If you sustain any one of these injuries, you may require surgery and physical therapy. This means you could accumulate up to tens of thousands in medical bills. Getting the necessary treatment, depending on the severity of the injury, might also mean you will be out of work for some time. This in turn entitles you to lost wages as well.

Your Fort Walton Beach personal injury lawyer is going to work hard to make sure you get the compensation you deserve.
 

Hotels and Motels Must Keep their Premises Safe for Their Guests

We talked about slips and falls already. But there are other types of injuries that can take place on the hotel’s property. When someone gets hurt on someone else’s property, under the law we have something called a “premises liability” claim.

There are various sorts of ways people can get injured while in the premises of a hotel. This can be anything from getting hurt on the elevator to getting burned by a hot plate in the hotel restaurant. Here are some of the more common types of premises liability injuries that can happen while you are at a hotel or motel:

  • Fall due to faulty repairs or unsafe conditions
  • Elevator or escalator accidents
  • Food poisoning or other injuries at the hotel restaurant
  • Scalding due to water issues in the hotel bathroom
  • Burn injuries suffered in a hotel fire

Any of these injuries will not only ruin your vacation, but they could land you in the hospital as well. As previously mentioned, a trip to the hospital could cost you thousands of dollars. The hotel owner should be held responsible for any medical bills that result from a premises liability injury.

Your Fort Walton Beach personal injury attorney will file a claim against the hotel. Their insurance company will review the claim and either pay your claim or deny it. If the claim is denied, your lawyer will try to negotiate a settlement. If this doesn’t work, they’ll file a lawsuit on your behalf.
 

Does it Matter That You Live Out of State?

One thing people worry about is how they can file suit if they do not even live in Florida. Millions of people go on vacation every year. Most of these people don’t vacation in their home state. This is why the spring and summer months are so terribly busy. We have people who are flying and driving all over the country.

The good news is, your Florida injury lawyer can handle your lawsuit for you. You can go home after your vacation is over. You may need to spend a few nights in a local hospital first. But, once you go home, you want to have a lawyer here you can trust.

Your Florida injury lawyer will handle the legal side of things while you focus on getting your recovery. You need to move on with your life, and the last thing you need to do is hang around Florida waiting for your lawsuit to be settled.

Because the injury took place in Florida, the normal course of action is to file the suit in Florida as the courts of Florida have jurisdiction over these hotels. There are certain exceptions to this rule, of course. If the hotel chain does business in your home state, you can try to get the case filed there. But, you are really better off filing your case in the county where the hotel is located.

Let your injury lawyer in Fort Walton Beach handle everything for you. They will work hard to get you the compensation you deserve. They will also do their best to keep you from having to travel back and forth to Florida to resolve the matter.

What Kind of Damages Will Your Attorney Demand?

If you or your family get hurt at a hotel on vacation in Florida, your Fort Walton Beach personal injury lawyer will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. The hotel should be held responsible for any injuries you or your family suffer.

You deserve to be kept safe while on vacation. The last thing you need to worry about is getting hurt. The hotel owes you this much. They need to make sure their staff is trained properly and willing to keep guests safe and happy while at their hotel.

If you do get hurt while at a hotel, your attorney will demand that you be compensated for the following:

  • Medical bills
  • Lost wages
  • Pain and suffering
  • Permanent disability

If you get hurt while on vacation in Florida, you need to call a personal injury lawyer in Fort Walton Beach. Your lawyer can work hard to get you justice and the compensation you deserve.

Call today and schedule your free initial consultation. You can sit down with an experienced personal injury lawyer who can answer any questions you may have. The consultation is free and you pay nothing until you settle your case.

 

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