If you get injured because of unsafe conditions in an Airbnb house or other vacation rental property, the owner of the property could be responsible for the cost of the medical bills resulting from your injury.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, staying in a vacation rental such as you might book through Airbnb may seem like a safer option than staying in a hotel because you would not come into close contact with people outside of your traveling party. When you pay to stay in a hotel, though, you are not just paying for a picturesque lobby or for 24-hour room service; you are also paying for safety. The frequent cleanings by hotel staff are not just to wash away the germs left behind when the previous guests touched a doorknob or sink faucet; the are also checking for hazards that could cause serious injuries, such as uneven carpeting in the corridors or water spills on the stairways. Likewise, at a hotel, one of the front desk employees can help you get to your room safely if you come home drunk at midnight, having left your room key and phone with your friend; only at vacation rentals do people try to climb drunkenly into second-story windows. In other words, the chances of getting injured in an Airbnb rental are at least as great as the chances of getting injured in a hotel, but the laws regarding your rights when you get injured on vacation are the same, no matter the accommodations. If you suffered a serious injury in a preventable accident on a vacation rental property, contact an Tulsa personal injury lawyer.
Our Team Is Here To Assist You Every Step Of The Way.
SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY TODAYPremises Liability and Vacation Rental Properties
Oklahoma’s premises liability laws state that the owner of a property owes a duty of care to business invitees (customers, clients, or paying guests). This means that the business owner must keep the property in a safe condition so that visitors do not get injured. For example, slip and fall accidents are a risk in supermarkets, malls, and restaurants, and other businesses where floors can become slippery; therefore, the business owners must assign employees to inspect the areas open to visitors frequently, to clean up spills promptly, and to post “wet floor” signs after mopping.
Likewise, the duty of care applies in vacation rentals. If you stay in an Airbnb, you are a business invitee, and the owner has a duty to keep the premises safe. If you get injured because of a falling shelf, uneven floor, or other hazard that the owner should have known about and that could have been prevented by proper maintenance, you might have grounds for a premises liability lawsuit. You would not sue if you got injured in an accident at a friend’s house, but the duty of care is higher for business invitees than for social visitors.
Contact BDIW Law About Premises Liability Cases
A personal injury lawyer can help you if you have suffered injuries due to unsafe conditions in an Airbnb rental property. Contact BDIW Law in Ponca City, Oklahoma or call (580) 765-9660.
