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No matter what type of injury occurs on your vacation, the Eltringham Law Group can provide you with a Florida vacation rental injury lawyer who can get you the compensation you need.
No matter what type of injury occurs on your vacation, the Services like Airbnb and Vrbo are beneficial for offering people great deals on vacation rentals while offering authentic staying experiences. Unfortunately, incidents can occur when people stay in these rentals. Guests may incur injuries, or the property can become damaged.
Fortunately, the rental services offer insurance that covers injury and damages. But they are limited in the coverage they provide.
Call us today at 561-440-1332. We will see to it that justice is done.
What Insurance Policies Does Airbnb Offer?
Airbnb is one of the most popular vacation rental services. It has over 150 million users and hosts over a half billion guests annually. The company offers coverage for property owners if their property is damaged or if a guest is injured while on the property. Here’s what you need to know.
Vacation Rental Definition: First, according to Florida law, it’s important to be familiar with what a rental property is. It is defined as “any group of units in a condominium or cooperative or any individually or collectively owned single-family, two-family, or four-family house or dwelling unit that is also a transient public lodging establishment that is not a timeshare project.”
Airbnb provides insurance in the form of AirCover and an Airbnb Host Guarantee as follows:
- Airbnb AirCover: Property owners listing their property on Airbnb automatically agree to their AirCover policy. This covers claims of bodily and property damage. You can also purchase additional coverage to apply to pet damage protection, deep cleaning, income loss, a 14-day filing window, and quick reimbursements.
The policy does not cover every type of incident. For instance, sickness due to asbestos and other drywall materials, intentional acts such as assault and battery, communicable diseases, bacteria, and product liability claims are not covered.
- Airbnb Host Guarantee: Property owners who list on Airbnb are also automatically covered by the Host Guarantee Policy. This protects owners from damage that their guests cause. It allows the owner to receive up to $1 million for damages caused by guests if the guest is unwilling to offer compensation.
The insurance will reimburse property owners for damage to the property caused by guests, damages to the host’s belongings caused by guests, and damage to the property or belongings caused by a service animal. It does not cover damage to the owner’s money, land, watercraft, vehicles, art, or animals. It also does not apply to damage due to illegal activity, damage caused by pets, and damage that occurs after the booking period is over.
What Types of Accidents Can Occur on a Vacation Rental Property?
The types of accidents that can occur on a vacation rental property are generally divided into one of two categories as follows:
Bodily Injury: These are physical injuries that occur on the property, typically due to the owner’s failure to provide adequate maintenance. They usually involve the guest going after the owner for damages. Examples include:
- Deck collapses
- Slip and falls due to bad lighting, broken stairs, or railings
- Swimming pool accidents
- Building collapses
- Exposed wires
- Snow and ice
- Potholes
- Malfunctioning elevators and escalators
- Break-ins due to inadequate security measures such as broken locks
- Exposure to toxic chemicals, harmful gasses, or other environmental agents such as mold
Property Damage: Property damage occurs when the guest damages or destroys the owner’s property or belongings or loses or steals their belongings. The owner against the guest typically files these types of claims.
What Options Do I Have in Pursuing Compensation for My Personal Injury on a Rental Property?
If you incurred a personal injury on a rental property, you are likely protected by Florida premises liability law. This states that the owner has a duty of care to ensure their property is safe for visitors.
To prove the owner did not hold up their end in keeping the property safe, you must show that:
- A dangerous condition existed
- The property owner or their maintenance team knew or should have known about the dangerous condition
These circumstances will enable you to prove the owner’s negligence.
Airbnb’s terms of service state that a guest may sue the property host if they were injured during their stay, if there was property damage at the rental, or if they encountered a refund issue. Airbnb would not be held liable in these circumstances.
You should seek prompt medical attention at the local ER or Urgent Care if you were injured during an Airbnb (this applies to Vrbo or any other vacation rental stay). In addition to being beneficial to health, this will establish a medical record linking the injury directly to the time of the incident. Not doing so may cause the property owner to falsely claim the injuries did not occur at their property. Insurance companies aggressively defend cases on the basis of what they call “treatment gaps” between the time of the incident and the 1st reported date of related medical treatment.
Then check the Airbnb website to find out what’s covered under their AirCover insurance.
If there is reason to believe that an injury occurred due to the owner’s neglect, the guest should be able to move forward with a premises liability claim.
Our Florida Vacation Rental and Airbnb Injury Lawyer Can Assist You With a Personal Injury on a Rental Property
If you incurred a personal injury on a rental property, Eltringham Law Group can help. Allow our personal injury attorneys in Florida to put their experience to work for you. We will assist you in gathering evidence to build your case. We will fight relentlessly to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
We have been working in the personal injury law field for years. We are known for our high level of customer service and winning results. We won’t charge you a penny unless we can help you win your case.
Getting injured on vacation can put a damper on your fun. Don’t let negligent property owners get away with it. Especially because they will often have insurance to protect & compensate you. Call Eltringham Law Group for the peace of mind you need and the compensation you deserve. Our experienced Florida vacation rental and Airbnb injury lawyer is here to assist you with your case.
Last updated Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024
