An estimated 44 million visitors travel to North Carolina annually, many of whom come to Wilmington and surrounding areas. Many guests utilize vacation rental properties through companies like Airbnb or Vrbo rather than hotels. Unfortunately for vacationers, though, injury-causing accidents can happen anywhere and anytime.
If you or a family member sustained injuries at a vacation rental property, you need an injury lawyer to manage your claim from start to finish. Contact Horton & Mendez Injury Attorneys for assistance.
What Can Cause Injuries at Vacation Rental Properties?
Many unsafe conditions may exist at rental properties, including:
- Swimming pool or hot tub hazards
- Poorly maintained decks or piers
- Uneven walking surfaces, such as cracked sidewalks and loose flooring
- Damaged stairs or loose handrails
- Items left on walkways
- Faulty appliances and electrical wiring
- Poor lighting
- Building code violations
Assaults that happen on the property may also qualify you for compensation. You must prove negligence to hold property owners liable for your accident and resulting injuries. You may have a valid claim if they knew or should have known about the hazard but failed to fix it.
Injuries that may occur due to a property owner’s negligence include:
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries
- Scrapes, cuts, and bruises
- Internal organ damage
- Soft tissue damage
These injuries often require multiple medical treatments and time away from work during your recovery. You may face a financial strain due to these circumstances, but a competent vacation rental injury lawyer knows how to obtain the compensation you deserve.
How Can a Vacation Rental Injury Lawyer Help?
Premises liability laws state that property owners have a legal obligation to maintain safe conditions to avoid harming invited guests and visitors. Vacation rental property owners have a higher duty of care to inspect their properties and repair hazardous conditions that could injure paying guests promptly. Failing to do so may indicate negligence.
To prove negligence, you must show that:
- Someone owed you a duty of care.
- That party breached their duty of care.
- The breach resulted in an accident.
- You sustain injuries or other damages as a direct consequence of the breach.
If your injury at an Airbnb or Vrbo property happened due to the owner’s negligence, you may deserve compensation. However, proving negligence at a vacation rental is sometimes challenging.
Liable insurance companies might not want to pay you. You may not know where to turn for help, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the area.
Contact Horton & Mendez Injury Attorneys in Wilmington, NC, for a free case evaluation. If you hire us, we will:
- Offer information and legal advice
- Handle all case-related administrative duties
- Investigate your accident, gather evidence, and determine liability
- Speak to insurance company representatives on your behalf
- Negotiate with insurance companies to obtain a favorable settlement
- Take your case to trial if necessary
Hiring a vacation rental injury lawyer in Wilmington benefits you because we understand the local laws and court procedures. Attorneys in your locality aren’t likely to have that advantage.
What Damages Are Available if You Sustain an Injury at a Vrbo?
Accidents, resulting injuries, and available damages vary. However, North Carolina laws allow different types of damages in personal injury claims.
In most cases, you must file your claim within the three-year statute of limitations, or you will likely forfeit your eligibility. The legal team at Horton & Mendez Injury Attorneys can tell you how much your case is worth.
Economic damages
Directly related expenses come with vacation rental injuries. Economic damages reimburse you for qualifying expenses, which include compensation for:
- Medical treatments, hospital stays, surgeries, rehabilitation, and medications
- Lost wages due to time away from work
- Replacement services, such as costs associated with hiring caregivers
- Property damage
Some injuries require extensive medical treatments and extended time away from work. You may qualify to receive compensation for these future damages.
Keep your bills, statements, and receipts for all expenses. Your vacation rental injury lawyer can use them to ensure you obtain the appropriate compensation.
Non-economic damages
Physical injuries aren’t the only wounds you can receive from an accident. Others aren’t necessarily visible but can have long-lasting adverse impacts on your life. Non-economic damages compensate you for things like:
- Inconvenience
- Pain and suffering
- Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
- Permanent disfigurement or disability
- Losing your capacity to enjoy life
Insurance companies may challenge the validity of claims like these if you sustain an injury at a Vrbo, Airbnb, or other vacation rental property. The team at Horton & Mendez Injury Attorneys has the resources to prove they exist and will fight for your right to compensation.
Punitive damages
Few accident claims qualify for punitive damages. Specific aggravating circumstances must apply. Ask our lawyers if you are eligible.
Why Should You Choose Horton & Mendez as Your Vacation Rental Injury Lawyer?
Horton & Mendez has a unique perspective on how insurance companies operate because we used to work for them. That fact gives us — and you — an advantage. We focus on personal injury law, so we understand how to handle cases like yours successfully. Our track record and reviews speak for themselves.
Horton & Mendez won’t charge you any fees unless we win compensation for you. If you need a competent vacation rental injury lawyer, contact Horton & Mendez Injury Attorneys 24/7 to schedule your free, confidential case evaluation. Call us today at (910) 490-4247 or submit our contact form.
