What Should I Do if I’m Injured at a Vacation Rental?

It is not uncommon for New Jerseyans, and even out-of-state visitors, to rent beach houses for vacation stays along the Jersey Shore. Whenever you enter someone else’s property, you run the risk of being exposed to potentially hazardous conditions. But this risk may be amplified with a long-term stay at this site, especially if you have no prior knowledge or experience with the property beforehand. That said, please read on to discover what to do if you get injured during your stay on a vacation rental property and how a seasoned Passaic County slip and fall lawyer at the Law Offices of August R. Soltis can help you hold the at-fault party accountable most appropriately.

Who is liable for my injury at a vacation rental?

Usually, the host of the vacation rental property is held liable for any accident, injury, or personal damages their guests experience during their stay. This is true if they acted negligently in some way, which ultimately prompted such an event to occur. And so, you may decide to pursue a personal injury claim against the property owner in question, If so, you must prove that there was a hazardous condition present on the property that the owner should have reasonably known about; should have promptly repaired or rectified before your scheduled stay; or should have clearly warned you about before you entered their premises.

What should I do if I’m injured on a vacation rental property?

Even if you do not initially feel hurt or think you incurred any bodily injuries, you should call local law enforcement to the vacation rental property immediately following your accident. You should also take photos and videos of the visibly hazardous condition on the property that prompted the incident. You should attach this image or video to the message you send to the host or owner of the vacation rental property, through the booking platform or their otherwise provided contact information. Lastly, you should send this evidence to your official report to the vacation rental company (i.e., Airbnb, Vrbo, etc).

If you do not closely follow this procedure, it may be more difficult to solidify your argument in your eventual personal injury claim. This is because the host or owner, as the defendant, may dispute that your accident and subsequent injuries and damages must not have been that serious if you never reported them in the first place. Or, they may even put into question the correlation between your injuries and damages with the stay at the vacation rental property. These legal strategies may be all in an attempt to relieve themself of liability and therefore being ordered to pay for your compensatory damages.

The first step toward preparing yourself for this legal action is to retain the services of a competent Passaic County personal injury attorney. Look no further than the Law Offices of August R. Soltis.