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When staying at a hotel or motel we want a home away from home. However, sometimes this does not happen. You are here because:
Abuse Guardian has a team of experienced sexual assault lawyers to help you in this time of need. To learn more about your options, contact our lawyers for a free consultation or continue reading to learn more about sexual assault class action.
When booking a hotel, it's important to find the right combination of comfort and security. Like with any other business, guests should feel safe and secure while on hotel or motel properties. It's the responsibility of hotel owners to provide adequate security measures so that innocent guests don't become victims of violent crimes, such as robberies or sexual assaults. Failure to do so endangers both guests and hotel staff.
If you've suffered a sexual assault as a guest or an employee of a hotel, you deserve to see your attacker and other liable parties held accountable. The criminal justice system can help to punish perpetrators and prevent them from acting again, while the civil court system works to provide the compensation victims need and to hold negligent property owners responsible for allowing a crime to occur.
In the US, all property owners are required to make sure that their properties are reasonably safe for all potential guests. This is doubly true in the hospitality industry, where safety is a concern for many patrons. Sexual abuse can happen anywhere, and by anyone including those you trust. Read more from our lawyers for sexual abuse by police.
Most hotels do a good job of providing adequate safety measures to greatly reduce the risk of crime. However, there are hotels and motels which are negligently managed and do not have the proper security to keep their guests safe.
Common examples of insufficient security measures which could result in sexual assaults and other crimes include:
Many victims of sexual assault and rape wonder what more could have been done to prevent their assault. In cases that took place on hotel or motel properties, it's important to assess whether the property owner failed to provide security measures that could have prevented the crime.
If you believe that your assault was the result of negligent hotel security, our compassionate sexual assault attorneys can help analyze your case and seek justice.
Hotel guests aren't the only ones at risk for sexual violence. Staff members, especially cleaning staff, are also at risk of being assaulted by intruders, co-workers, and guests of the hotel. According to an article in the New York Times, housekeepers and hotel security experts both say that unwanted sexual advances and physical contact are a known occupational risk.
Common examples of sexual assault and harassment experienced by hotel housekeepers include:
Housekeepers are particularly vulnerable when they're cleaning a room. If they leave the door open while cleaning, someone in the hallway could enter and assault them. If they leave it closed, the guest could reenter and assault them behind closed doors.
Recently, six undocumented North Carolina housekeepers filed a lawsuit against their employer, the Hilton Charlotte University Place hotel.
The suit claims that a manager sexually abused them for a decade, and threatened them with firing, cut hours, or deportation if they spoke out against the abuse. The abuse only stopped when one of the women escaped a confrontation with the manager and alerted a police officer in the hotel lobby.
Many workers in this situation may feel like they have no way to fight back. They may be fearful of reporting the abuse for fear of deportation or may simply be unaware of their workers' rights. However, these brave women have shown that victims of sexual assault often have recourse in the civil court system.
The women are seeking compensation for the following damages:
If the hotel failed to provide sufficient security, they could be held liable according to a legal theory called premises liability. This principle requires all property owners to keep their properties free of foreseeable risks which could injure their guests.
In many cases, it's not immediately obvious that negligent security measures are to blame for a sexual assault. It often requires an investigation by an experienced victims' rights attorney to make this determination.
If you've suffered sexual abuse as a hotel employee or guest, you have options for support. One of our victims' rights attorneys will gladly listen to your story in a free consultation and only ask for payment if we successfully help you win financial compensation. A successful lawsuit can help you receive the compensation you need for expenses like:
Additionally, a lawsuit can help to protect other people from becoming victims of the same offender. Many offenders strike again after getting away with a sexual assault. Our lawyers can help hold them accountable through a civil lawsuit and cooperation with the criminal justice system.
