What’s Going on With Hotel Balconies?

A short time ago, two individuals lost their lives because of accidents at two Virginia Beach hotels. One was a toddler playing alone on the balcony and the other a young father on vacation with his family who fell from another balcony at a Virginia Beach, VA, hotel. As of yet, police have not determined the cause of the accident, but with these two recent tragedies, it is always good to remember the fragility of life, whether you are 2 years old or 33.

Unfortunately, it takes tragedies like these to remind us that people who suffer injuries or fatal accidents are not at fault for what occurred. When someone is staying at a hotel, the proprietor is required to protect the guest from certain harms. You are owed a duty that the property will be kept in a reasonably safe condition and that the proprietor of the property will exercise care to discover dangerous conditions. Many times, a property owner will not fix dangerous conditions on their property until several people are injured and someone finally stands up and demands the condition fixed. Even though the proprietor has met the duty to main safe premises, however, people can still be injured severely.

If you are injured on the property of another and the property owner did not exercise a reasonable amount of care to discover the danger that injured you, you may be able to recover for your loss. You should always exercise caution when visiting the property of another, as you never know the condition of that property.

About the Editors: The Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm, which has offices in Virginia (VA) and North Carolina (NC), edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as pro bono services.