Articles Tagged with Best Hotel Shooting Victim Attorney

By

HotelOpenDoor-300x211In August 2018, ABC 7 reports, a woman was raped inside a Las Vegas hotel room. Only weeks later, KTNV reports, another woman suffered a sexual assault in a different Las Vegas hotel. The unconscionable attacks raise questions over hotel security measures in the Las Vegas area.

While guest safety is ultimately the responsibility of the property owner and management, hospitality industry leaders urge travelers to take precautions to protect themselves. Meetings Today recently collaborated with female business travel experts to develop “safety tips for women in order to avoid sexual harassment and assault while on the road.”

  • If possible, request to have a room that is not at the end of a long hallway.
  • When heading to your room, pay attention to who’s in the elevator with you….If you notice someone get off at the same floor as you, try to maneuver to where that individual is walking ahead of you and never behind you.
  • Try to choose hotels that have taken care to meet female travelers’ needs with features such as a female-only floor and a closed-circuit camera inside the room to see who’s knocking at the door.
  • Do not share your room number….Make sure to double lock your room door from the inside.
  • Do not arrange out-of-hours meetings in your hotel room (after the event is over, for example). Always try to get together at a coffee shop, restaurant, etc.

Read the complete list of travel safety tips at Meetings Today.

Guest Rights and Hotel Responsibility

By law, hotel owners have a duty to provide a safe and secure premises and to protect their guests from any foreseeable harm. For example, should a hotel owner be aware of prior criminal activity on or near property, they have a duty to take additional security precautions to deter future crime and to protect guests. Should a hotel owner or manager fail in this critical responsibility, they may be held civilly liable for any sexual assaults, injuries, or deaths which occur as a consequence.

We’ve Recovered Millions for Victims of Hotel Security Negligence…Contact us Now for a Free Consultation.

Headline Frame Fox News DeskThe Murray Law Firm has an extensive and successful record representing victims of violence and security negligence. We have recovered millions of dollars for our Clients, and we recently obtained a $29.25 million dollar verdict for a victim of an unsafe property. We offer our legal assistance, if desired.

We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover.  Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us via e-mail (click here) or by telephone at 888.842.1616. Consultations are free and confidential.

728x90 Justice Continue reading →

By

HotelOpenDoor-300x211As summer vacation begins, thousands of families will travel. Many will research safe hotels in their final destination, but long road trips often mean unplanned rest stops at highway hotels and motels along their route. Travelers are forced to trust that property owners will provide a safe and secure space for their families, as they should by law.

Hotel owners are required by law to protect their patrons from any foreseeable harm. For example, should a hotel owner be aware of prior violence on or near their property, they have a duty to take additional security precautions to deter such crime in the future. Should a hotel owner fail in this critical responsibility, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries, assaults, rapes, shootings, or wrongful deaths which occur as a consequence.

Despite this legal obligation, some hotel owners are more interested in limiting their financial exposure than providing a safe property for their guests. All too often we see Clients who have been victims of violent crime at hotels with an extensive history of criminal activity.

A WHEC 10 investigation recently exposed several hotels and motels with numerous police calls for “deaths, drug overdoses, and prostitution.” “At Motel 6 on Buell Road, police have been called nearly 200 times over the past year alone,” according to the WHEC report.

Guest Rights and Hotel Responsibility

Hotel guests have a right to be safe and secure while on the premises of the establishment that they are visiting. By law, hotel owners have a duty to protect guests from any foreseeable harm.

Hotel owners are encouraged to implement property security precautions and preventative measures to protect guests and reduce property violence, injuries and deaths. Security measures may include, fencing, guarded entry, bright lighting in parking lots, hallways and grounds, security personnel, off-duty police patrols, and an identification requirement for all guests.

Can I Afford an Attorney?

Our Clients frequently come in concerned that they won’t be able to afford legal help. We believe everyone has a right to exceptional legal service. We represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover. This means our interests are always tied to that of our Clients. Be sure to ask any potential personal injury attorney about their fee schedule and whether they represent Clientele on a contingency basis before signing a contract.

Continue reading →

By

HotelOpenDoorMany travelers relax while on vacation, sometimes leaving themselves vulnerable to theft and assault. While security measures are not typically part of the hotel selection process, Independent Traveler suggests a little research may reduce a traveler’s risk of becoming a victim of hotel violence. We have highlighted some hotel safety tips below. Read the complete report at Independent Traveler.

Before Your Stay

Long before you actually book your hotel, start by doing your homework. Take a careful look at the security situation in the country and/or city you’ll be visiting….

When the time comes to book your hotel, don’t just look at rates and amenities — pay close attention to location as well. Is the hotel in an upscale residential neighborhood, a bustling business district or a seedy commercial area? Is it safe to walk around after dark? Is there a police station nearby? All of these factors could affect the likelihood of a break-in or assault during your stay. You can find neighborhood information online or in a good guidebook.

You’ll also want to find out about the hotel’s own security measures. Call ahead and ask whether the front desk is staffed 24 hours a day, if there are security guards on the premises and if there are surveillance cameras in the public areas…. Is access to guestroom floors restricted to guests only? If hotel staff can’t offer any specific examples of what they do to keep guests safe, book somewhere else.

Checking In

Don’t accept a room on the ground floor if you can avoid it. Many safety experts recommend staying somewhere between the third and sixth floors — where rooms are high enough to be difficult to break into, but not so high that they’re out of the reach of most fire engine ladders.

If you’re staying in a motel where doors open directly to the outside (rather than a hallway), see if you can get a room overlooking an interior courtyard instead of a parking lot.

Don’t let the front desk attendant publicize your room number. If he or she announces it out loud when giving you your key, ask for a different room.

While you’re at the front desk, ask what phone number you should dial in case of emergency. Is there a direct line to the hotel’s security team…?

Upon arriving at your room, immediately identify a fire escape route. Check the location of the nearest stairwell and/or emergency exit (elevators should be avoided during a fire) and figure out a couple of potential plans for escape in case the hallway is blocked in one direction or another.

Check the locks on the windows (and balcony door, if applicable) as soon as you arrive, and notify the front desk if any are not functioning. It’s a good idea to check these locks again each time you return to the room, as housekeeping may open them and forget to close them again.

During Your Stay

Keep your door locked at all times whenever you’re in your room — including any deadbolts, security chains or swinging metal security locks. Never prop your door open, no matter how briefly.

At night, leave a pair of shoes next to the bed in case you need to leave in a hurry. Keep your room key, wallet and a flashlight close to hand as well.

If someone comes to your door unexpectedly and claims to be hotel staff, call the front desk to make sure the visit was actually authorized. Never open your door to someone until you’re sure of their identity; use the peephole instead.

Protect your valuables by using the hotel safe — or, better yet, leaving them at the front desk while you’re out. Get a written receipt for anything you leave with the front desk and find out whether you’re covered in case of loss. (Many hotels do not accept liability for items left in guestroom safes.) If you’re traveling with a laptop, you may want to consider bringing a security cable to lock it to a piece of furniture. Small locks are also available for suitcases.

When you leave the room, leave the TV or radio on, or put your “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door; both of these tricks will give potential thieves the impression that you’re still there. (You can contact the front desk to arrange a housekeeping visit even if the “Do Not Disturb” sign is up.)

The hotel parking lot and hallways should be well lit. Report any outages to the front desk and ask for a security escort if you feel unsafe.

If you do experience a crime during your stay, don’t simply complain to the hotel — file a police report as well….

Know Your Rights

Generally, hotel and motel owners are required by law to protect guests from any foreseeable harm. For example, should a hotel owner be aware of prior criminal activity on property, they have a duty to take security precautions to protect guests and deter future violence. Should the hotel owner or manager fail in this duty, they may be held civilly liable for any injuries or wrongful deaths which occur as a consequence.

We’ve Recovered Millions for Our Clients…Contact us Now for a Free Consultation.

The Murray Law Firm has extensive and successful experience in representing victims of hotel and motel security negligence and we offer our legal expertise, if desired.  We typically represent our Clients on a contingency agreement, which generally means that no fees or payments are owed until and unless we recover.  Anyone seeking further information or legal representation is encouraged to contact us via e-mail (click here) or call at 888.842.1616. Consultations are free and confidential.

728x90 Justice