subject: A Twisted Ankle While on Vacation [print this page] Question: Question:
I was staying at the Best Western in Savanah GA and got hurt. Iwas walking towards the AC inorder to lower it when the floor around the ACcaved in. The carpet held and I rolled my ankle under the AC I immediatelycalled the desk clerk to see what happened. All she could say was file areport in the morning and we are going to move you into another room. Thiswas at midnight and she didnt even help me move or offer first aid or anambulance. When i called to see if there was an ace bandage all I got wasattitude. there was a incident report done the next day. is there anything Ican do? My ankle still huts and my vacation was ruined for me and my kids!!
Answer:
David, I am an accident injury attorney in Florida specializing incar accident, trip and slip/falls,and work related injury claims. I am notlicensed to practice in Georgia. The laws in Georgia may be different thanin Florida, so it is always best to speak with somebody in that area to getmore information.
I'm not sure if I completely understand how your accident happened. Youremail says the floor caved in, but also says the carpet was somehowinvolved. If the injury occurred due to the floor caving in, the hotel isdefinitely responsible for damages that you incurred. The hotel owes a dutyto its customers to maintain the property in a reasonably safe condition,and warn its guests of dangerous conditions which it knew about, or shouldhave known about. A floor that caves in is type dangerous condition thatthe hotel should have known about, and taken steps to correct the problem.
In Florida, there are different types of damages you can recover. Theseinclude money damages for any injuries you may have suffered, medical billsin the past and future, lost wages - past and future,and pain and suffering.The value of your claim depends on the severity of the injury, and theextent of your expenses and lost wages.
The best advice I can give you is to speak with a Georgia attorneyspecializing in premises liability accidents to see whether you shouldpursue a claim. An experienced accident and injury lawyer is going to knowthe laws which apply and how best to proceed. Most accident injury lawyershandle cases on a contingent basis which means if the lawyer does notrecover any money for your claim, there is no charge for costs or attorney'sfees. Most Florida accident injury lawyers will also offer a free,no-obligation consultation, so you have nothing to lose by meeting todiscuss your claim.
An experienced accident injury lawyer will also know how to assist you ingetting, and paying for, medical care. You can use your health insurance ifyou have it, the insurance company for the property owner may have medicalpayments coverage which would pay for some of your bills, or the lawyer maybe able to arrange for your medical care to be reimbursed out of theproceeds of any settlement you receive.
It is best to explore making a claim soon after the accident occurred. InFlorida, you have four years from the date of the accident to bring a claim.However, you don't want to wait that long as witnesses disappear and theirmemories fade, employee witnesses move on to different jobs, and evidencecan be lost. Your attorney will also want to get pictures of the area whereyou fell before any repairs are made to it, although if the floor caved in,the hotel has most likely fixed it by now.
