What Causes Slip and Falls at Resorts?
Resorts are popular destinations for vacationers and for hosting special events. Resorts are often very large and contain many guests and workers. If the resort is full and hosting a popular event, there could be lots of people wandering its grounds throughout the day and night.
You might have many reasons to be at a resort. When you are there as a guest, you are considered an invitee by law. Resorts have a responsibility to ensure your safety and that of all other invitees.
If you are injured while on resort property, premises liability laws apply. That is especially true if a slip and fall accident caused you to have serious injuries.
Most people think of a wet or cluttered floor as the primary cause of slip and fall accidents. That certainly is the case in grocery stores and many other places, but a resort has many more ways in which slip and fall accidents could happen. You might trip over an upraised piece of rug or carpeting. An elevator might not align evenly with the floor and cause you to trip and fall. No matter how a slip and fall accident happens, the resort is responsible for maintaining a reasonably safe premises.
The people in charge of a resort’s daily operations must know about potential dangers before they take care of the problem. The only reasonable way to find out without an invitee telling them is to have workers regularly inspect the premises. A resort should have workers or managers regularly check the areas in which they are working to see if any hazardous conditions exist.
Injuries Caused by Slip and Fall Accidents
A slip and fall accident could cause you to suffer a variety of losses, including medical costs.
You also might miss time from work and lose income while healing from injuries caused by the accident. Those injuries could cause a good deal of pain and suffering; they could also cause mental anguish. Your injuries might stop you from resuming your hobbies and normal activities.
If you are married and you are incapable of providing or receiving emotional and physical support to your spouse, loss of consortium damages might be awarded.
Denied Slip and Fall Accident Claims
Although resorts generally have insurance protection that should cover the costs arising from slip and fall accidents, the insurers make the final decisions on claims. That means your slip and fall claim might be denied. An insurer could deny a slip and fall claim for many reasons. Those reasons could include lack of evidence. Insurers could say there is no evidence that the condition existed, and a lack of evidence means a claim likely will be denied.
If the insurer denies your claim for damages arising from a slip and fall accident, you would have to sue the resort. State courts would handle such cases, and you need to ensure you present a solid case with supporting evidence. An experienced slip and fall lawyer can help you build and file a well-supported case.
Gathering Evidence
You will need to provide as much information and evidence as you can to prevail in a case against a resort or another entity. Winning a case will require you to prove that a dangerous condition existed.
If you have photos of the condition that caused your slip and fall accident, that will help prove a dangerous condition existed. You should include other pertinent information, including the time, date, and location of the dangerous condition.
You should do your best to show that the resort was aware of the dangerous condition or should have been aware of it. The longer a dangerous condition existed, the more likely a judge will rule that the resort staff should have been aware of it and taken steps to correct the problem.
You also need to show that the condition caused you to suffer harm. Any injuries that you suffered would be an example of harm. Medical bills, lost income due to an inability to work because of your injury, and detailing of your pain are examples of evidence.
The need for evidence makes it important to document the condition and your injury following the slip and fall accident. A cellphone or a digital camera is a great way to prove a dangerous condition existed. Witnesses could help affirm you suffered a slip and fall accident that caused your injury.
New Brunswick Slip and Fall Lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr Can Help You After a Resort Slip and Fall Accident
If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident while at a resort, one of our experienced New Brunswick slip and fall lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr can help you build a solid case. Call us at 732-537-8570 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Located in Highland Park, New Jersey, we represent clients in New Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Edison, South River, Sayreville, Metuchen, East Brunswick, South Plainfield, Fords, Middlesex, Old Bridge, Iselin, Bound Brook, Perth Amboy, Colonia, Elizabeth, and Newark.
