Summer is the most popular time of the year for vacations, and many Montana residents enjoy visiting hotels with pools. Relaxing at the pool is often one of the things people most look forward to on vacation.
Everyone hopes for a safe and healthy vacation, but sometimes accidents happen. Hotels have a legal duty to provide a safe and hazard-free environment for their guests, and this includes the pool area.
If you slip and fall at a hotel pool, you could sustain serious injuries. Pool accident injuries tend to be more severe, resulting in broken bones, head injuries and more.
Don’t assume the accident was your fault
As a pool accident victim, you may not take any action after your injury, blaming it on your own clumsiness. You may also assume that pool areas are naturally slippery, and falls are to be expected.
The reality is that negligence on the part of the hotel could have caused your injury. There are many things that cause slip and fall accidents at pools.
Surfaces can be slippery from excessive water, moisture or other liquids, such as suntan lotion. Pool deck surfaces should be kept smooth and even, free from cracks or other obstructions that can cause you to trip.
The pool could have been built defectively or need repair. Pool area equipment must contain slip-resistant coating. These are just a few examples of how negligence can cause a slip and fall accident at a pool.
The aftermath of a pool accident injury is debilitating. Treatment of your injuries is likely to be costly and time-consuming, resulting in lost wages, in addition to pain and suffering.
The elements of a negligence lawsuit
By successfully proving negligence, you could recover compensation for these damages. You must show that the hotel had a duty to provide a safe environment and breached that duty, causing your injury and damages.
Montana is a comparative negligence state. This means that even if the hotel is found partially negligent, if you are found more negligent, you cannot recover damages.
There are many factors involved in proving negligence, and it depends on the specific circumstances of your case. Personal injury attorneys provide valuable advice on your chances of recovery.
