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South Carolina is an appealing vacation destination due to its beautiful beaches, wonderful weather and upbeat atmosphere. Many individuals or families planning a trip in or near Charleston seek out an ideal vacation rental, but a dream outing can quickly turn into a nightmare if you or a family member suffers an injury due to unsafe conditions at your chosen rental property.
When a serious injury occurs on a rental property like an Airbnb or Vrbo, one of your top priorities should be to work with a vacation rental injury lawyer who can help you pursue the compensation you deserve. Contact Trey Harrell Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorney in Charleston and learn more about your legal options.
How a Vacation Rental Injury Lawyer Can Help Your Case
An attorney experienced in vacation rental injuries can help you secure a favorable outcome for your premises liability case, whether you booked your vacation rental through a traditional rental agency or through a company such as Airbnb.
Your attorney can remove much of the burden from you when navigating a premises liability case. The duties that our team can complete for you include:
- Handling administrative tasks
- Investigating the circumstances surrounding your vacation rental accident
- Calculating the extent of your damages based on evidence and the letter of the law
- Negotiating with the at-fault party and the insurance company on your behalf.
We take a personal approach to helping you get the most favorable outcome possible for you and your family. Attorney Trey Harrell is a vacation rental injury lawyer and former federal prosecutor who is willing to take your case to trial if that becomes necessary for pursuing the compensation you deserve.
Unsafe Conditions at a Vacation Rental Property
Vacation rental properties that are poorly built, poorly maintained or otherwise neglected by the property owners are liable to have a number of unsafe conditions that may endanger you or your family. It is a good habit to check for unsafe conditions before committing to a rental, but that may not always be an option, and many hazards are not apparent until you arrive at the property as part of your trip.
If you do sustain an injury during your stay on a rental property, your vacation rental injury lawyer can help you identify various unsafe conditions and confirm the negligence of the property owners in allowing these hazards to be present.
Common safety hazards at vacation rental properties include:
- Dimly lit stairwells
- Lack of stairway railing
- Branches and other debris blocking a driveway
- Furniture or other objects impeding interior walkways
- Inadequate tree maintenance
- Roof or plumbing leaks
- Pool hazards (slippery poolside tiling, lack of depth markers, etc.)
- Burn hazards (faulty electrical systems, faulty stovetop burners, etc.)
Our legal team can help you investigate and identify all unsafe conditions at your vacation rental. This includes those that did not cause you injury, as all safety hazards on the premises can be indicative of the property owner’s negligence in upholding their duty of care to you and your family.
Holding Vacation Property Owners Responsible for Injuries
When an accident occurs on a rental property, the owner may be liable according to South Carolina’s premises liability laws. These laws outline a property owner’s duty of care toward guests given access to the property. The legal provisions for a landlord using their property for commercial purposes are particularly strict and include expectations that the property owner will regularly inspect the premises and promptly correct any issues which might create unsafe conditions.
Holding a property owner liable is a matter of proving that they are guilty of negligence and that they failed to act with reasonable care. There must also be proof that this negligence or lack of care resulted in you sustaining damages. Our team will take on the burden of investigating your accident and collecting evidence so that you can focus on recovery.
If you booked your vacation through a company such as Airbnb, that company may also bear liability in your case. To recover the full amount of compensation you deserve, it is best to work with your vacation rental injury lawyer to pursue all potentially liable parties.
Common Injuries at Vacation Rentals
The presence of recoverable damages generally forms the basis of personal injury or premises liability cases. One typical form of recoverable damages after injury at a vacation rental is the medical bills you incur as a result of the injury. With that in mind, it is useful to know the types of injuries that vacation rental injury lawyers frequently see with vacationers so that you can better understand when you have a strong claim.
Some of the most common vacation rental injuries include:
- Slip and fall
- Burn injury
- Electrocution from exposed wires
- Pool drowning
- Dangerous chemical exposure
- Physical or sexual assault
Landlords and rental property owners have an obligation to provide a safe and secure environment for their tenants or guests. Negligence in security, such as failing to repair a broken window or provide adequate locks, can be a basis for a vacation rental injury claim if those conditions lead to theft or you or your family member becoming a victim of assault.
Other Damages You Can Recover When Injured at a Vacation Rental
In addition to medical bills, several other types of recoverable economic and non-economic damages may be available when you sustain an injury at a vacation rental. These damages can include:
- Loss of wages and income
- Loss of earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional or mental anguish
- Reduced quality of life
Attorney Trey Harrell can help you understand what damages may apply to your case and what your claim may be worth overall. Bear in mind, however, that South Carolina has a statute of limitations of three years for liability cases, after which the at-fault party is no longer liable and it will no longer be possible to claim any damages.
Get Support From a Charleston Vacation Rental Injury Lawyer Today
You have the right to receive compensation for the injuries sustained by yourself or a family member at your vacation rental. Trey Harrell Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorney is a vacation rental injury lawyer who can help you get the outcome you deserve during a trying time. Contact our law offices online or by calling 843-636-8739 today.
FAQs About Vacation Rental Accidents
How do I file an injury claim with Airbnb?
Airbnb has a basic intake form online that you would file to begin the claims process. The form requests brief information about the accident.
You usually need to provide the date and reservation. Then, you have up to 1,000 characters on the form to describe the accident itself.
Still, you should take this filing very seriously because Airbnb may try to use your own words against you at some point. Once Airbnb receives the form, they would assign an adjuster to your case who would then contact you.
How do I file an injury claim with VRBO?
VRBO offers $1 million in coverage if the reservation was completed through their website. VRBO asks that you call their representatives to verbally report the incident.
You may be asked to give details of what happened. The representative could also ask you to provide any documentation that you may have of the incident, such as pictures that you took at the scene.
VRBO would then assign an adjuster to your case who would be in touch with you. Ideally, you should not try to deal with VRBO on your own without an attorney.
