A fire at a hotel is a terrifying experience that no one wants to go through. Unfortunately, fires are not uncommon at motels, hotels, and resorts. This is the last thing any of us think of when we book a room or suite for a business trip, vacation, or as a place to stay while we are moving from one residence to another.
While a fire can take place anywhere inside a hotel, it’s the individual rooms that are most likely to have these incidents. The majority of fires happen at night, and sometimes, the guest is at fault for doing something dangerous like falling asleep with a cigarette. In other cases, there may be hazardous conditions on the property that are responsible for a motel / hotel room fire.
Being injured in a fire can have life-altering consequences for the victim and their loved ones. Our attorneys are here for you during this difficult time, whether you sustained a burn injury or lost a family member who died in a hotel fire. Alternatively, you can meet with a CO poisoning in hotel room lawyer if you are suffering from brain injury, heart damage, and other complications from carbon monoxide exposure.
For more information on how to file a lawsuit for injuries and property damage from a hotel fire, contact the offices of Normandie Law Firm.
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Smoke Alarm Requirements in Hotel Rooms
Hotels and similar lodgings must adhere to legal requirements for smoke alarms and CO detectors in each of the room where guests are staying. Hotels should also be equipped with water sprinklers that are set to go off when the smoke alarms are activated. This is known as an automatic extinguishing system, or AES, and it serves as an effective way to protect people from death and severe injuries in the event of a fire.
These deterrents are recommended by the National Fire Prevention Associations (NFPA), so this is basically the minimum standard a motel or hotel owner needs to meet in order to provide a safe environment for their guests. Sprinkler systems are especially important, as they can help defuse a fire quickly and stop it from spreading. Depending on the size and scale of the building, a hotel fire can injure dozens or kill dozens of people and cause extensive damage to the property.
Aside from fire extinguishing equipment, staff must also be trained on what to do if there is a fire in common areas of the hotel, like the entry way or the hotel restaurant. Fires can also happen in utility rooms, particularly where the heating system is located. Employees acting quickly to contain the fire and evacuating people in the area is the key to saving many lives that could have been destroyed in a fire.
As we stated before, rooms where guests are staying are the most common locations for a fire. However, these other areas of a hotel or motel may catch on fire as well:
- Boiler rooms
- Laundry facilities
- In trash cans / containers
- In outdoor dumpster
- Inside chimney
- Hotel kitchens and restaurants
If you have any questions or concerns about a hotel fire incident, don’t hesitate to call us. A hotel fire accident lawyer is ready to hear your story and help you develop the best legal strategy. We can help you obtain maximum payment for the harm you suffered and ensure that you have the needed funds to recover your monetary losses.
Am I Eligible for a Lawsuit against the Hotel?
If there was a hazardous condition at the hotel that caused the fire or contributed to the damage caused by a fire, then yes, you have the right to file a lawsuit against the hotel. Faulty wiring, defective appliances, overheating equipment, and many other issues can result in a fire at a hotel. Whether it’s the business owner or an employee that’s responsible for these conditions, it’s the business that’s liable when there are injuries to a guest.
You may also have grounds to sue an entity other than the hotel, like a product manufacturer. For example, a fire may have started in your hotel room from a defective coffee maker. If the problem with the appliance occurred during the manufacturing process, you may need to file a product liability claim and seek damages directly from the company that made the appliance.
There’s much more to know about liability for a fire accident at a hotel. That’s why you should learn about your legal rights by contacting a law firm with experience in fire-related injuries.
Statute of Limitations to Sue for a Hotel Room Fire
Accident victims in California have 2 years from the incident date to file a personal injury claim.
Most of the questions from hotel room fire victims have to do with how to file a claim for monetary damages. However, it’s just as important to understand the deadline for these cases, which his known as the statute of limitations. After all, even if you have a rock solid case against the motel / hotel, you still have to ensure that your lawsuit is filed on time.
Under limited circumstances, you may have additional time to file a legal case, which you can learn about during a free case review at our office. However, 2 years is generally the deadline to file a fire accident injury claim against a negligent business owner.
Contact a Hotel Fire Accident Lawyer
By contacting us today, you can talk to a hotel fire accident attorney about the details of your case and what to do if you are interested in suing the business for monetary compensation. If you would like us to represent you in a lawsuit, you will not have to pay a single dime in legal fees.
With the Zero Fee Guarantee policy, you have the assurance of knowing that legal fees are factored into the settlement you receive from the defendant. In other words, the only way we get paid is by winning your case and receiving payment directly from the hotel.
To learn about your rights and the available legal options, give us a call and talk to a lawyer with experience in hotel room fire claims.
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