Suing an Establishment for a Slip and Fall Accident
5When you step onto someone else’s property, inside a business, or even on government premises, it is expected that the property is maintained and hazard free so that no incidents occur. But, when an accident does happen and an individual sustains an injury, that establishment risks being sued if the victim can prove that negligence was a contributing factor in causing the incident to transpire. If they can, they stand a good chance at obtaining a favorable outcome in their case.
One California man recently filed a lawsuit against Embassy Suites by Hilton Houston Downtown after he alleged he slipped and fell on a piece of lettuce which resulted in him sustaining severe injuries [Chron]. Court documents state that William Anthony Packard of Orange County was at the hotel on May 14th hosting a private dinner for “40 extremely important guests” to “raise money for a non-profit charity.” The dinner was scheduled for 6:30 p.m., however, Packard said he noticed the staff was falling behind and began to get “increasingly frantic.” After inquiring why the staff had fallen behind, Packard was told by the manager that “the hotel cut staff because of rain from the previous day.”
The news outlet reported that when it came time for the main course to be served, Packard went in to check on the status of the food and that is when he slipped on a piece of lettuce just outside the main entry door to the banquet room. Packard claimed he fell rather hard on the marble floor because of the lettuce leaves that were “haphazardly strewn on the floor of the main entrance.” It turns out, the servers had been using the “main pedestrian entry door as their service entrance instead of the designated service door to serve meals,” according to the lawsuit.
As a result of the slip and fall accident, Packard stated that he sustained injuries to his right hip, his back, elbow, ankles, and left knee. His lawsuit alleged that “hotel staff did not maintain safe conditions” and that the hotel was guilty of “negligent hiring and supervision.” He also believes the “hotel supervisors failed to provide adequate staff for the event.” Although the incident did occur at the Embassy Suites by Hilton, American Liberty Hospitality is named as the defendant in the lawsuit as it is responsible for managing the hotel.
Packard is seeking $200,000 to $1,000,000 for the injuries he claimed he sustained as result of the negligence displayed by the hotel staff.
Anytime a person sustains an injury on someone else’s property that resulted in them getting injured, it is always a good idea to consult with a San Diego, CA personal injury lawyer to determine if there are grounds to file a lawsuit against the establishment. While not every case may meet the criteria to file suit, the only way to find out is by letting a CA injury lawyer assess the details of the incident. So, if you recently sustained an injury on someone else’s property in San Diego, consider contacting Jeffrey E. Estes & Associates today. We will be happy to sit down with you and explain the lawsuit process and how much a case like yours may be worth.
We encourage you to visit or call Jeffrey E. Estes & Associates today at:
501 West Broadway, Suite 1650
San Diego, CA 92101
619-233-8021
