If you are looking for an affordable apartment or house in the U.S. or abroad, your friends (or Google) have most likely recommended you to use Airbnb, an app that keeps getting popular among American travelers looking for accommodations in the U.S. or any other country on our planet.
Since Airbnb is a rather fresh phenomenon, users of the app are not aware of their rights and obligations when renting out their own apartment or house, or, on the other hand, renting it from an Airbnb host.
One of the most outstanding questions concerning Airbnb is, “Who can be held responsible for injuries caused to guests in Airbnb accidents?” We asked our Philadelphia Airbnb accident attorney at Dan Doyle Law Group to explain liability in the event of injury while staying at an Airbnb rental.
So the question could not be more straightforward than that. Who will be held liable for your injury if you suffer harm while renting an apartment or house through Airbnb? Everyone knows that when you get injured in a hotel accident, the hotel will be held liable for your resulting damages and losses if the injury was caused by its failure to maintain the premises in a safe and sanitary condition.
The same cannot be said about Airbnb rentals, because this is a completely different universe. When it comes to recovering damages after an Airbnb accident, you may be able to sue multiple parties for causing your injury, including the property owner, landlord, and even Airbnb.
In order to determine liability in your particular accident at an Airbnb rental, you need to understand the liability, obligations, and rights of Airbnb property owners and hosts. As you may know, premises liability law requires all property owners to maintain their premises in a safe and sanitary condition free of any hazards. If there is a dangerous condition on the property that is not obvious to a reasonable person, the owner of the property has a legal duty to warn others about the condition to prevent harm.
That same duty of care extends to Airbnb hosts as well. “In other words,” explains our experienced Airbnb accident attorney in Philadelphia, “If you get injured while renting an Airbnb rental and your injury is caused by an unreasonably dangerous or non-obvious condition, you may be able to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit against the Airbnb host renting out the apartment or house.”
Whether or not you can sue Airbnb depends on a variety of factors. In fact, since most insurance policies prohibit property owners from using their insurance coverage to pay for damages caused by injuries resulting from their property being used for business purposes, Airbnb offers $1 million in liability coverage to all Airbnb hosts to cover any injuries to guests that occur when their apartment or house is being rented out.
Unfortunately, seeking compensation from an Airbnb host can be a confusing process, which is why consulting with a skilled premises liability attorney is paramount to protect your legal rights as an Airbnb user and ensure that you are getting the maximum compensation you deserve. Contact Dan Doyle Law Group to speak to our skilled lawyers today. Call our offices for a free case evaluation.
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