Why Choose Us?
We Are Committed to Pursuing Justice
Matt Stoddard is well-known as a seasoned premises liability and negligent security attorney. He has specific experience successfully resolving cases involving injuries due to inadequate security on hotel property.
His knowledge, hands-on approach, and attention to detail set him and his firm apart. When you engage The Stoddard Firm, we will leverage the following when representing you:
- Our in-depth knowledge of premises liability law and how it relates to negligent security issues
- Our winning formula that has resulted in millions of dollars won for clients
- Our dedication to providing personalized service designed to address a broad range of client needs.
We provide free consultations so you can get to know us and share your difficult experience in a low-pressure environment.
How Our Hotel Negligent Security Attorneys Can Help
Providing Comprehensive Legal Support
You have a lot on your plate. In addition to recovering from your physical injuries, you are also beginning to manage the emotional impact the hotel attack had on you. But in order to pursue compensation, a lot needs to be done.
Our seasoned attorneys will handle the work of filing your injury claim from start to finish by:
- Drafting, completing, and submitting all legal documents in accordance with the two-year Georgia statute of limitations
- Thoroughly investigating the violence against you and how and why it happened
- Managing all communications with attorneys and insurance companies for the hotel property
- Handling the insurance negotiation process on your behalf
- Representing you in court should litigation become necessary.
Our team has the experience, knowledge, and time to build a strong claim designed to maximize your settlement.
Proving Hotel Operator Negligence
Under premises liability law, hotels and other businesses have a duty to keep visitors from being injured. To file a suit against a property that you believe failed in their duty, you will need to show that:
- The hotel had a duty to make sure the property was reasonably safe from criminal activity.
- The hotel failed in that duty because they did not provide adequate security.
- The hotel’s negligent failure led to your assault, injuries, and damages.
While there is no universal set of requirements for hotel security, there are some measures that lodging establishments should take to protect their guests from likely and foreseeable threats. What specific measures an individual hotel takes can depend on its layout, size, location, and other factors.
Hotel Security Measures
Security measures could include:
- Adequate and working lighting in all public areas
- Secure locks on doors, balconies, and windows
- Peepholes, locks, and deadbolts on guestroom doors
- Security cameras in hallways, stairwells, and outdoor areas
- Security staff patrolling the property inside and out
- Internal audits to ensure accountability of keycard use
- An internal emergency telephone number
- Name badges and clear identification for hotel personnel.
Guests may not know how many robberies, break-ins, and assaults have happened at a hotel in the past year, but the manager does. If the manager allows those incidents to continue without taking reasonable measures to prevent them, they may be held liable for putting guests in harm’s way.
Hotel Injury Lawyers Answer FAQs
Our clients in negligent hotel security cases typically have many questions. Below we answer some that we frequently receive.
Isn’t the individual who attacked me responsible for my losses?
While the person who attacked you certainly bears the utmost responsibility, the truth is that hotels are legally responsible for the safety of their guests. Our hotel injury lawyer can review your situation and let you know if you have a viable case against the establishment.
The hotel manager has contacted me regarding the attack; what should I do?
Other than calling the police to report the crime, do not speak with the manager, or anyone, regarding your experience. Refer all communication to our hotel negligent security attorney. We know how to communicate in a way that protects your future.
How much can I expect to be awarded?
Damage awards vary greatly from case to case. In Georgia, you can be awarded economic damages (like medical expenses and lost wages) and noneconomic damages (for emotional distress and pain and suffering) and, in certain instances, punitive damages.
What do you charge?
We work on contingency, which means we will not charge you upfront. Rather, we receive a percentage of the final settlement or verdict that we get for you. We take on strong cases that we expect to win. But if for some reason we do not win, you do not owe us legal fees.
We hope the answers we provided here help to clarify some of your most pressing questions. We can address concerns specific to your case when we speak with you.
Contact An Experienced Hotel Injury Lawyer Today
Determining liability for crimes on hotel property can be a long and complex process. A skilled Atlanta negligent security attorney can help you navigate it more effectively and increase your chances of a beneficial outcome in holding the establishment accountable. This is not a process you want to undertake on your own.
If you’re wondering whether something that’s happened to you qualifies as a case of negligent hotel security, call 470-467-2200 to schedule a free consultation.
The team at The Stoddard Firm has a reputation for successfully handling negligent security cases – let us help you too.
Attorney Matt Stoddard
Matt Stoddard is a professional, hardworking, ethical advocate. He routinely faces some of the nation’s largest companies and some of the world’s largest insurers – opponents who have virtually unlimited resources. In these circumstances, Mr. Stoddard is comfortable. Mr. Stoddard provides his strongest efforts to his clients, and he devotes the firm’s significant financial resources to presenting the strongest case possible on their behalf. Matt understands that his clients must put their trust in him. That trust creates an obligation for Matt to work tirelessly on their behalf, and Matt Stoddard does not take that obligation lightly. [ Attorney Bio ]
