WERE YOU SEXUALLY ABUSED IN A HOTEL OR MOTEL?
You May Be Entitled To Substantial Compensation
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HOTEL SEXUAL ASSAULT LAWSUITS
Nationwide Representation for Victims of Sexual Assault in the Hospitality Industry
Our legal team at Levy Konigsberg is dedicated to fighting for the rights of people who have survived sexual assault or abuse in any situation, including when the perpetrator is harbored or enabled by the negligence or wrongdoing of a hotel, motel, or another hospitality business.
In recent years, more and more stories have come to light of men and women – but usually women – being sexually abused in their hotel rooms due to the mistakes and unacceptable behaviors of the hotel staff. There have been many cases in which a front desk clerk handed a room key to an assailant without checking their identity or if the person who rented the room was not even expecting a guest.
Our goal is to help make sure such unthinkable incidents never happen again by using civil lawsuits to hold negligent hotels and hospitality industry giants accountable.
Were you sexually abused?
Hotel Responsibility to Protect Guests
All hotels and motels have a responsibility to protect guests from undue harm and criminal offenses, including sexual assaults. As a welcomed and paying guest at the hotel, you have the right to expect that your stay there will be safe.
Furthermore, you should be able to reasonably assume that your private information, including information about your room and access to it, will be kept strictly confidential.
If a hotel fails to protect a guest, especially when there is evidence of hotel staff negligence, then the hotel might be liable for any resulting injuries and losses through premises liability laws.
Acts of negligence on behalf of a hotel that can put guests in danger include:
- Giving guest room keys to strangers.
- Ignoring complaints from guests about loiterers.
- Failing to maintain locks and gates around the premises.
- Refusing to notify the police when a crime is reported.
Hotels can be found liable for assault by a hotel employee particularly when the hotel knew or should have known that the employee should not have been hired due to his background or personal history, or the hotel fails to properly instruct or train the employee. A hotel can be liable for an assault by a guest if it fails to adequately protect its staff from sexual misconduct.
Abuse of Housekeepers, Maids & Hotel Employees
Guests are not the only individuals facing sexual harassment in hotels and motels- housekeepers are increasingly the victims of sexual assault by guests. The threat of sexual assault against housekeepers in hotels has led several states to enact laws requiring hoteliers to install panic buttons for housekeepers.
The plight of hotel maids is representative of a larger problem of sexual assault against various low wage workers. Employees at a number of large-chain establishments allege that their companies have done little to protect employees from sexual abuse and workplace harassment.
Many housekeepers who have encountered sexually abusive behaviors while cleaning rooms claim that hotel management simply ignore their complaints. Some of these workers, including several women employed by Marriott as housekeepers, have filed lawsuits against the corporation.
How Hotels Can Prevent Sexual Assaults
Hotels are expected to take reasonable steps to secure the premises and protect guests from criminal harm.
Security measures that should reasonably be taken to help prevent hotel sexual assaults can include:
- Installing security cameras in frequented areas.
- Training all staff in the proper way to issue additional room cards.
- Checking identification of guests and visitors when they first arrive.
- Calling guests if an unrecognized visitor asks to see or speak with them.
- Installing chain or manual locks that guests can use once in a room.
- Keeping lighting throughout the premises lit and maintained.
- Hiring security guards if the hotel is in a high crime area.
- Background checking all staff members.
What to Do After a Hotel Sexual Assault
A hotel will focus on protecting itself from liability and poor publicity after a sexual assault occurs on its premises. You can’t depend on the hotel to back up your story and help you with a case to pursue justice. Instead, you need to think about what you can do after a hotel sexual abuse incident to protect yourself and the potential civil injury lawsuit that you will file later with the help of Levy Konigsberg.
Steps to take after hotel sexual abuse include:
- Call 911: Once you are safe, secure, and isolated from the attacker, call 911 or local law enforcement to file a criminal report. Although you can file a civil claim against an attacker who was never charged with a sex crime, it is usually best to get the criminal justice system involved as well.
- Document the scene: Use your cellphone to take photos and videos of the scene. If there is a notes app, use it to quickly write down any details that you can remember, including the events that preceded the sexual assault.
- Notify hotel management: Insist on speaking to hotel management to file an incident report. You should also get the contact information of corporate to use after you speak with your attorney.
- Seek medical attention: You should seek medical attention shortly after the incident. It might be possible to request a sexual abuse kit, which is a medical kit used to preserve evidence after a woman is sexually assaulted.
Once you have received medical attention and are in a safe place, you should dial to connect with the hotel sexual abuse attorneys of Levy Konigsberg. The sooner we can start work on your case, the better our chances of securing evidence of what happened and why the hotel could be liable.
Compensation Available in Hotel Sex Abuse Cases
The compensation available to a hotel sexual abuse plaintiff will be unique to their case, harm, and losses. Levy Konigsberg is here to help calculate the compensation that could be owed to you. With our decades of collective experience working on high-value sex abuse lawsuits, you can trust that we know how to uncover various types of damages, so the amount we pursue in your name fairly reflects what has happened to you.
Three types of damages that could be available in your hotel sexual abuse case are:
- Economic: Damages that directly affect your financial situation, such as medical bills and lost wages.
- Non-economic: Damages related to pain, suffering, trauma, and distress caused by sexual abuse.
- Punitive: Damages used to punish the hotel for enabling or harboring a sexual assailant or for egregiously negligent security practices.
Newsworthy Hotel Sexual Abuse Cases
A few recent hotel sexual abuse cases that reached the news and ended in the plaintiffs’ favor are:
- $44 million: Hilton Management LLC was ordered to pay a $44 million jury award after a woman was sexually assaulted in a Houston Hilton property. The hotel was found 90% liable for the attack after allowing the sexual offender into the woman’s room without verifying that he knew her.
- $3.5 million: A jury awarded a $3.5 million award to a woman who was sexually assaulted in a Bakersfield Holiday Inn. Hotel staff gave the attacker a key to her room without checking his identity or even if she was expecting a guest.
- $1.8 million: A woman who was sexually assaulted in a Skokie Holiday Inn, near Chicago, won a $1.8 million jury award after suing Lakhani Hospitality. In the lawsuit, she alleged that a security guard at the hotel sexually attacked her, but criminal charges were never filed against him.
Find Out If You Have a Claim Today
Were you sexually assaulted or abused in a hotel? The hotel and its parent company might be liable for it, depending on what happened. Let Levy Konigsberg and our hotel sexual abuse lawyers investigate the situation and see if you can file a lawsuit based on applicable state and federal laws. For example, if you live in New York, then the time-sensitive New York Adult Survivors Act might let you file a claim, even if the hotel sex abuse occurred years in the past.
We specialize in sexual abuse lawsuits against powerful institutions. These include government entities (such as prisons, schools, and juvenile detention / juvenile treatment centers), technology companies, and clergy.
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We work on contingency, which means there’s no cost to hire and no fee unless we win.
Who Can You Sue in a Sex Abuse Civil Case?
In a sex abuse civil case, the parties you might sue can vary depending on the circumstances of the abuse and the relationships involved.
Some potential parties that could be sued in a sex abuse civil case include:
- Individual Perpetrator: The alleged perpetrator of the sexual abuse can be named as a defendant in the lawsuit. This is often the person who directly committed the abusive acts.
- Institutions and Organizations: If the abuse occurred within an institution or organization, such as a school, church, sports club, or workplace, and they failed to take appropriate action to prevent or address the abuse, they might also be held liable.
- Employers: If the perpetrator was an employee of an organization or institution, the employer might be held vicariously liable for the actions of their employee if the abuse occurred within the scope of their employment.
- Property Owners: If the abuse occurred on a property owned by someone else, and the property owner failed to provide adequate security or take reasonable steps to prevent the abuse, they might be considered liable.
- Government Entities: In some cases, government entities might be involved, especially if the abuse occurred within a state institution or facility. Suing a government entity might involve specific procedures and limitations.
Sex abuse cases can be legally complex, so it's highly advisable to consult with experienced legal professionals who specialize in this area to understand your options and pursue the appropriate legal action. Levy Konigsberg, along with our team of sexual abuse lawyers, is available to provide assistance for your sexual abuse case.
Do I Have a Case?
You may have grounds to file a civil legal action if you were sexually abused in a hotel or motel.
As civil claims, these cases are separate from any criminal proceedings that may arise from abuse and focus instead on holding institutions liable for damages. This means you may still have a claim even if:
- Your abuser is no longer alive.
- Your abuser was never charged with or convicted of a crime.
Recoverable Damages in Sexual Abuse Claims
In addition to providing accountability and a sense of justice, civil sex abuse lawsuits allow survivors to recover financial compensation for their damages, which may include:
- Past medical and mental health expenses
- Future mental health expenses, including therapy, medications, etc.
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish and psychological harm
- Lost income
- Other economic and non-economic damages
We Represent Survivors in All Types of Sex Abuse Claims
Trust Levy Konigsberg's Legal Team for Proven Results in Sexual Abuse and Negligence Cases
Levy Konigsberg LLP, a nationally recognized law firm, has built a legacy over three decades, recovering over $3 billion in sexual abuse compensation for clients. Led by award-winning sexual abuse lawyers, we specialize in representing survivors in sexual abuse across the country, taking on powerful institutions. Our top-rated trial practice handles all types of sexual abuse or negligence cases, showcasing numerous testimonials and successful case results.