Table of Contents
ToggleAverage Payout for a Hotel Elevator Accident
Every hotel elevator accident is different. Two people could be in the same accident and still suffer different injuries. Because cases can vary wildly from the next, there isn’t an average payout for these incidents. Factors unique to your situation (such as the severity of your injuries) will determine how much you can recover.
The Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato offers free consultations to hotel accident claimants. During your free case review, we can discuss the circumstances of what happened, along with your legal goals. Dial (954) 633-8270 to connect with our Fort Lauderdale hotel accident lawyers.
What Goes Into the Payout for a Hotel Elevator Accident Case?
As every case varies, so do the damages the victims suffer. However, our Fort Myers personal injury lawyers will look at similar factors to learn what constitutes a fair settlement. These factors include:
- The types and seriousness of the injuries
- The circumstances of the accident
- Who bears financial responsibility
- Your treatment expenses and prognosis
- Your mental and emotional states
- How the injuries will affect your life
You Could Seek These Damages Through a Claim or Lawsuit
Based on your situation, recoverable damages in your case could include:
- Lost Income: Your injuries might put you out of work for a few days or weeks. You might miss the opportunity to earn your salary, tips, hourly wage, bonuses, commissions, and other benefits all of which are compensable.
- Reduced Earning Capacity: If you can’t go back to work for the time being or must accept another job, you could seek the difference in pay.
- Past and Future Medical Bills: Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may accumulate medical bills for diagnostic tests, medications, hospitalizations, assistive equipment, the ambulance ride, surgeries, and/or follow-up doctor’s appointments.
- Pain and Suffering: The injuries you suffer from a hotel elevator accident may inflict chronic pain, inconvenience, and discomfort.
- Property Damage Costs: Your personal belongings could have been damaged or destroyed in the elevator accident. A settlement or court award could offer funds to replace them.
- Mental Anguish: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, insomnia, and fear can all stem from an event as traumatic as an elevator accident.
Sometimes, people succumb to their injuries from a hotel elevator accident. If your family experienced such a tragic loss, you may recover damages in a wrongful death claim or lawsuit. Damages could include loss of consortium and household services, as well as final medical expenses, funeral and burial arrangement costs, and lost income and financial help.
How Do Hotel Elevator Accidents Occur?
Some common causes of hotel elevator accidents include the following:
- The elevator doesn’t stop at the same level as the floor.
- The door closes too quickly for people to get on and off.
- The door fails to open or close.
- The elevator gets stuck.
- The elevator falls several floors down the shaft.
- There’s exposed or improper wiring.
In these situations, victims may suffer various injuries, such as:
- Whiplash
- Cuts and bruises
- The loss of a limb
- Amputations of extremities
- Electric shock
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Fractures or broken bones
- Nerve or organ damage
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Injuries to the neck, shoulders, or back
Those involved in elevator accidents can also experience trauma and shock from the distressing event. As noted, the types and severity of your condition will determine your payout for the hotel elevator accident.
Who Holds Liability in a Hotel Elevator Accident?
You won’t know who to hold responsible for the hotel accident until you prove whose negligence caused it. Negligence consists of the following four elements:
- Duty of care: You had a right to be on the property, and the other party had an obligation to prioritize your safety and well-being.
- Breach of duty: The other party failed to meet this duty of care and acted negligently.
- Causation: An elevator accident transpired, and you suffered injuries.
- Damages: You deal with financial and non-financial damages.
Evidence, such as photographs, medical records, maintenance records, video surveillance, eyewitness accounts, and the incident report, can support your claim. Supporting information could also determine that liability rests with:
- A hotel staff member
- The hotel’s administration
- The property owner
- The maintenance company
- The elevator manufacturer
If a staff member or maintenance worker bears responsibility, they may be at fault, but they’re usually not liable. Instead, their employer could be vicariously liable. This principle holds employers financially liable for their employees’ negligent actions.
Get Help From Our Hotel Elevator Accident Lawyers Today
Although it’s tricky to determine the average payout for a hotel elevator accident case, that’s not what we’re concerned about here at the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato. We want to fight for what you deserve after suffering a hotel elevator accident. We can review your case for free and determine your legal options. Call us today at (954) 633-8270.