“What if I am injured while staying at a Short-Term Rental?”
Short-term rentals are part of what makes vacations so special and many people prefer them over hotels. These rentals can provide all of the comforts of home and provide the feeling that you are the guest at someone’s home instead of renting a boring hotel room. Much like any other house, however, the short-term rental homes can have certain hazards if they are neglected. If you have ever had to consider the question: “What do I do if I get hurt while staying in a short-term rental?”, then you need to ensure that you know the answer. Lloyd H. Thomas Law is an accident attorney who has experience working with clients with injuries related to Airbnb, VRBO, and house shares.
Can the Homeowner be Held Liable?
Under the Georgia Premises Law, an injured party may bring a claim against the owner of the property or the person or entity occupying or controlling the property at the time of the injury. Meaning, if you get hurt at an Airbnb or VRBO rented property, you can take legal action against the owner of the property. However, you must first be able to prove that they are liable for the injury that you sustained.
How do I Prove Liability?
Proving liability is not always easy, and will require the assistance of an attorney. Many short-term rentals like Airbnb have their own insurance policies for injury claims, and a lawyer can help you to prove their liability and write your claim. Your written claim will need to prove that the injuries you sustained are not your fault, but rather are due to the negligence of the property owner. The injuries that can be due to negligence of a property owner include:
Structural collapse,
Falls due to faulty furniture
Exposure to toxic mold (or other hazardous substances)
These injuries are not something that you could have anticipated, and you are therefore not at fault if these happen to you. Lloyd H. Thomas Law is all about helping clients with the unexpected things in life that we can’t avoid.
How to Property Record Your Incident
Whether you had a slip and fall injury or any other type of short-term rental injury, you will need to ensure that you take the necessary measures to properly record the incident. You must make sure that you take records, including photos or videos of the area and a clear explanation of what happened to cause your injury. This will help to validate your claim and hold the other party accountable for your damages.
The Types of Damages that can be recovered
Lastly, you need to understand and clarify exactly what damages you are seeking to recover in your claim. The different types of damages that can be recovered due to homeowner negligence are:
Medical expenses
Lost wages
Lost earning capacity
Emotional trauma and suffering
Need Help with Your Short-Term Rental Injury Claim?
If you suffered a personal injury while staying in an Airbnb or other short-term rental property, then give Lloyd a call at (404) 848-8898 or send him a message today. Lloyd H. Thomas is a personal injury attorney with the experience and expertise needed to help you properly write your claim and settle your case. When the unexpected happens in life and you need help with an injury settlement, Lloyd is here to help!
