Many people flock to Louisiana each year for vacations with their families, heading to New Orleans for Mardi Gras or jazz music, Baton Rouge or Shreveport for the casinos and churches, or Lafayette for the performing arts. But no one ever counts on what happens when you or a loved one gets injured while you’re on vacation, and what you should do to ensure that you are protected.
Of course, the first thing to do if you have been injured is to seek medical attention and ensure that you have alerted the proper authorities. If there is an opportunity to do so, speaking with witnesses, making sure you document what you can with pictures and descriptions, and getting copies of everything—including reports—can help ensure that you are protected if you need to bring a personal injury claim.
However, it is also important to note that there will be circumstances that require you to file any related personal injury claims where you were injured instead of in your home state. For example, if you were injured while on a cruise, often the cruise company will insist (as part of purchasing your ticket) that you bring suit in the area of their choice.
Vacation Premises Liability
Most people who go on vacation will stay at a hotel or other facility, such as Airbnb. Under the law, all businesses are required to provide patrons with the highest level of reasonable care and to protect guests from harm. In these circumstances, if there is an issue—such as a dangerous condition that they are aware of and fail to correct—and you are injured because of it, they could be held liable for your injury and medical costs, as well as any pain and suffering.
Renting facilities off of websites such as Airbnb can be a bit trickier when it comes to liability, and, like other premises liability issues, this will require you to work with an experienced attorney to resolve. Not only do some homeowner’s insurance policies cover injuries and damage such as this, but as of late 2015, the Host Protection Insurance program—as purchased by Airbnb—can also provide coverage. In these instances, an attorney may be helpful in guiding you through bringing a claim for compensation to deal with your injuries.
If You’re Visiting New Orleans…
If you’re heading to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras with the crowds this year, remember that there are over 100 additional emergency room visits each day during Mardi Gras weekend than any day the rest of the year. Many of these are people suffering from severe eye injuries (from objects being thrown by floats). However, sometimes the injuries can lead to severe brain trauma or even be deadly. Some people have even been crushed by floats, so stay safe.
Harrell & Nowak
If you or a loved one has been injured while on vacation, the personal injury and medical malpractice attorneys at Harrell & Nowak are here to help. These injuries operate like any other injury in that you could have lifelong medical costs and if someone else was responsible, you may need to file a claim to ensure that you and your family are protected. Contact us today for a free consultation so that we can get started helping you.