What Happens if You Are Injured in a Florida AirBNB?
In the past, if you were traveling and planned on spending a night in a different city, it meant you had to spend several hundred dollars to stay in a small hotel room. However, today there is Airbnb.
Just like rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft have revolutionized the transportation industry, the concept of an Airbnb has done the same for the hospitality space. In just a few years, this innovative app has revolutionized the way that people book accommodations and how they use their extra property or rooms. When you are booking a trip, you can stay in an array of interesting homes, for affordable prices.
When you utilize the Airbnb service, you are going to be renting a space inside a person’s home. This provides a new world of possibilities and offers several advantages. However, there are also a number of new complications that aren’t present when staying in a hotel.
For example:
- Are there certain standards that the owners of the property must follow?
- Who do you get in contact with if there is an issue?
- Who are the owners of the property answering to?
One of the most important questions is who is considered liable if you are injured while staying in an Airbnb rental. Because this is still a new business model, this area of law has not been completely defined, leaving some questions “up in the air”.
Filing a Claim after an Airbnb Injury
If you are injured while staying in an Airbnb rental in Florida, there are several parties who may be liable.
The Hosts
In some situations, when an accident occurs, you can file a claim through the owner or host’s homeowner’s insurance policy. In this situation, the case would likely proceed like a typical premise liability case.
However, you can’t bet on this option. There are a number of homeowner’s insurance companies that refuse to cover an accident that involves commercial operations. Additionally, since the property owner was renting it, the insurance policy may not cover the accident that occurred.
If you have plans to stay in an Airbnb, it is a good idea to ask the hosts if their insurance will cover an accident. If they are unable to provide an adequate answer, then it may not be wise to stay in that location.
Airbnb
On the Airbnb website, there is a list of situations that the company cannot be held liable for, including product liability, lead and asbestos. Make sure to look at the list closely and if any of the situations they don’t cover are related to your case, then you may not have a case against Airbnb.
In most cases, if you are an Airbnb guest, you need to do your homework to ensure you rent a safe property. If you do suffer an injury during your stay, it is best to contact an attorney for help. Contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Leifer & Ramirez by calling 561-660-9421 to learn more.
