Hotel Sexual Assault Lawyer

Like all property owners and managers, hotel owners and operators have a legal duty to keep their property in a reasonably safe condition for guests and employees under Pennsylvania’s premises liability law. 

Not all injuries on hotel property result from the owner’s negligence or give rise to a premises liability action. Hotels must take reasonable measures to protect guests from foreseeable risks of harm. Not all risks are foreseeable, and reasonable safety measures can never entirely eliminate a risk. However, hotels can take various reasonable measures to avoid conditions allowing opportunistic criminals to harm others on their property.

The following are some of those reasonable security measures hotels can take to prevent sexual assault, depending on factors such as the hotel’s size, location, history of sexual assault cases, and more:

• Perform regular inspections and prompt repairs of equipment that controls visitors’ access to guest rooms, such as key card readers and locks on doors and windows.
• Install and maintain property-wide security equipment, such as security cameras and alarm systems, that can alert property owners to a potential security threat.
• Hiring professional security guards and keeping them informed of potential safety hazards
• Ensure that hallways, common areas, and parking lots have sufficient lighting.
• Perform background checks on all prospective employees and reject applicants with criminal histories.
• Check visitors’ key cards or identification to ensure they have a valid reason to be on the premises.
• Keep key cards in a secure location that only authorized parties can access.
• Disable lost key cards from future use.
• Train staff on what to do if they identify suspicious activity.
• Implement policies to prevent employees from being alone in rooms with guests.
• Respond to reports of sexual violence or harassment by staff or guests.
• Install panic buttons for housekeeping staff in guest rooms.

Failure to implement such measures could be considered negligent security and provide grounds for a premises liability claim if a guest or employee is sexually assaulted on the property. 

Our hotel sexual abuse lawyers can thoroughly investigate the hotel’s policies, procedures, and practices to determine if the hotel was negligent. From there, we gather evidence to prove how negligent security contributed to the crime. 

The idea of reporting the assault can feel terrifying for many victims, but it’s a vital step in holding the perpetrator accountable and building your case. Contact the hotel staff or management as soon as possible to report the incident. They are legally obligated to address the situation and ensure your safety. Ask for their assistance in contacting the local authorities.

Even if it has been some time since the incident occurred, it’s probably not too late to make a police report. Under Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations for sexual assault cases, adult victims generally have 12 years to initiate a criminal case and two years to file a civil case.