Your getaway may have been spur-of-the-moment or planned months in advance, but you could almost feel your stress melting away as you checked into your hotel and began to explore your surroundings. Maybe you traveled with your family, with some friends or by yourself.
If you vacationed in a place that was new to you, perhaps the beauty and excitement distracted you. However, even if this was a place you have visited many times in the past, you expected to make some special memories. Unfortunately, the memories you brought home with you are ones you would rather forget.
Critical mistakes of hotel staffers
Like most people traveling, you probably took precautions for your safety. You parked your car in a lighted area, kept your cash hidden and made sure to keep your hotel door locked. Nevertheless, the unthinkable happened. If you were the victim of an assault in your hotel, it is possible that one of the following factors played a role:
- Hotel staff announcing your room number as they hand you your key
- Hotel staff giving a duplicate room key to someone who pretends to know you
- Hotel staff allowing strangers to lurk in lobbies and corridors
- Hotel management neglecting to maintain adequate lighting in halls and parking areas
- Hotel ownership failing to provide security cameras in vulnerable areas of the property
Two people are physically assaulted every minute across the country, and every five minutes, another person is a victim of rape. Safety advocates estimate that this average is much higher in hotels and motels since guests like you may be unfamiliar with your surroundings and assuming those you meet are friendly and helpful.
Placing responsibility where it belongs
When someone takes advantage of you and causes you suffering and pain, it is not your fault. There are many precautions the management of a Georgia hotel or motel can take to ensure your safety. Hotel management cannot assume that because they have a high rating or a well-known brand that they are immune to predators in their hallways and parking lots. Especially in a resort area during tourist season, hotel staff must be especially vigilant for the well-being of their guests.
If you suffered an assault or were the victim of another crime that you believe the management of your hotel could have prevented, you may have many questions about what to do next to make it right. You may never fully get past the feeling of violation and broken trust caused by the event, but you can certainly investigate the possibility of obtaining compensation for your suffering. You may wish to contact an attorney with many successful years assisting other victims of crime in poorly secured hotels and motels.