Couchsurfing Injury Attorney

Most of us are familiar with the concept of couch surfing – it is typically associated with someone staying on someone’s couch for a few nights and then moving on to someone else’s couch. CouchSurfing is based on this concept. CouchSurfing is an online service, both a social networking and hospitality exchange service, dedicated to connecting people who are interested in travel.

Currently, members can pay monthly or yearly to use the CouchSurfing services. Members also have the option to pay a one-time fee to verify their accounts with the company. This is the only way that CouchSurfing makes a profit, since all stays are free.

All stays through CouchSurfing are free, as mentioned. Although this could be convenient for travelers on a budget, this could also be very dangerous – especially considering that members are essentially staying with strangers that they only interact with very shortly online before meeting in person. It seems like the company is aware of these dangers, as they are proud to say that they are not liable for any incidents that occur during member stays with other members.

Were you injured during a stay with a CouchSurfing host? Whether you were harmed after assault and battery, bed bug bites, or sexual assault, for example, you could have grounds to file a lawsuit.

Our CouchSurfing injury attorneys are ready to help you. Here at Normandie Law Firm, our personal injury attorneys are ready to evaluate your claim and help you understand your right to sue regardless of how you were injured on the property where you were being hosted. Contact us today to learn more about your right to sue.

CouchSurfing Safety Recommendations

The company encourages their members to stay safe while using their services. Some of their recommendations include the following:

• Always reviewing member profiles and references before meeting up in-person
• Always having a backup plan and trusting your instincts (in case you have to quickly leave an unsafe situation with another member)
• Always communicated through CouchSurfing (either online or on their app) until you are completely comfortable releasing additional contact information
• Always leaving honest references about your experiences with other members
• Always reporting any negative experiences to the CouchSurfing team

The company encourages safety; however, there are not many things that the company does to ensure the safety of their members. Members have the option to report issues and incidents to the CouchSurfing team here (with written descriptions, images, and even videos). However, they are not required to do anything about reported incidents – in fact, the company states that they “are not responsible or liable for [their] members’ actions, and [they] are not obligated to take any action.”

Our Recent Verdicts and Settlements

CouchSurfing – Who is Liable?

You might have many questions about liability surrounding CouchSurfing incidents, establishing liability, and your right to sue. Some common questions are addressed below:

• Are they responsible if I get injured? Are they liable if I get injured? As briefly mentioned above, the company states that they are not responsible for the actions of their members (i.e., if one member acts maliciously towards another member and harms them), this implies that they are also not liable for any harm suffered by a member at the hands of another member. Although they denounce any liability, they could still be liable under some circumstances.
• Do they carry insurance? If so, who is their insurance carrier? All evidence leads to the company not carrying any insurance in case of incidents to CouchSurfing members.
• How can I contact them by phone? Can I call an injury hotline or a claims department? The only option to contact CouchSurf is directly through the their interface, whether it’s the Couch surfing mobile app or their website. In terms of how to file a claim in that app, members have the option of reporting incidents through their help center.
• Is there anything CouchSurfing can do if I am injured by another member or another member’s property? According to their terms of use, the only thing that the company can do is deactivate or delete member accounts “to protect the safety or the well being of the Couchsurfing community.” This is only after the affected member has reported an issue/incident, and this response is not guaranteed.

Even though CouchSurfing rejects liability, they could still be held accountable under some circumstances. For more information about whether you could file an injury lawsuit against the company, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our law firm immediately.

Exposure to Bed Bug Infestations

Bed bug infestations are common anywhere where there are beds or other sleeping accommodations (like couches, sofa beds, air mattresses, etc.). It takes just a few bed bugs to quickly lead to an infestation. Unfortunately, travelers using the CouchSurf services to find accommodations could be exposed to bed bugs, which could lead to bites, infections, scarring, mental/emotional distress, and property damage. If you were exposed to bed bug infestations on a couch or other sleeping area while using the couch surfing app, then you could have grounds to file a claim. Typically, you could sue the property owner for exposure to a bed bug infestation. However, CouchSurfing could also be liable – especially if the company had previously received reports of bed bug infestations from other members and failed to take any action.

CouchSurfing and Sexual Assault Incidents

Although there is online interaction before members meeting in person and staying at another member’s home, the risk of sexual assault is prevalent. Although all online interactions might seem well-mannered and innocent, things could change soon after meeting in person. If you were sexually assaulted, raped, or subjected to any other sexual misconduct while staying with a host through CouchSurfing, you could file a sexual assault claim against your attacker and/or the property owner. However, you could also have grounds to sue CouchSurfing if they were aware of the risk to their members. For more information about your right to sue, you should contact a Couch Surfing sexual assault attorney immediately.

Assault and Battery During CouchSurfing Stays

Did you suffer assault and battery during your stay? Were you beaten up by the hosts or by someone else on the property? If you were attacked during your stay, then you might have grounds to file an assault and battery claim against the property owner. You could also file a lawsuit against the company especially if they had previously received reports regarding the host and past attacks/incidents. For more information about your legal options after being sexually assaulted while couch surfing, do not hesitate to contact our experts today. Our lawyers are more than ready to file your accident claim.s

How Normandie Law Firm Can Help

Here at Normandie Law Firm, we are not afraid to take on any company to fight for the rights of injured parties to sue and recover a fair amount of compensation. If you are interested in learning more about your right to file a lawsuit against Couchsurfing for any harm that you suffered while being hosted by another member, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our firm today. It doesn’t matter if you were harmed in a foreign country, including anywhere in South America (including Argentina), Mexico, Spain, Germany, England, Italy, France, etc. Because the company’s headquarters are in the U.S., they can still be sued here in the U.S. If you have an international claim, we can help you.

Our experts have decades of experience handling all sorts of injury claims, and they are ready to represent you and help you recover the compensation that you are owed. We are proud to offer free legal services – which include free consultations and free second opinions. You will be able to speak with our experts without having to worry about legal costs. In fact, we offer a Zero-Fee guarantee; therefore, our clients will never be required to pay any upfront legal costs for our legal services. We also work on a strict contingency structure, meaning that you will not be required to pay anything until after winning your claim.

If you would like to discuss your claim with our experts, contact us today. Normandie Law Firm is ready to fight for your right to sue.

Other Pages on Our Website Related to This Topic
Homeowner Liability for Assault by a Roommate