Restaurant and Hotel Injury Lawyers in Georgia & South Carolina
Restaurants, hotels, resorts, and other hospitality businesses welcome millions of guests each year. As commercial establishments that invite the public onto their premises for mutual benefit, they owe their guests a high duty of care under premises liability law. When restaurants and hotels fail to maintain safe conditions — whether through slippery floors, unsafe stairways, defective furniture, or inadequate security — guests can suffer serious, life-altering injuries.
At Roden Law, our premises liability attorneys represent guests injured at restaurants, hotels, resorts, and other hospitality venues throughout Georgia and South Carolina. We hold both the business operator and the property owner accountable for unsafe conditions.
Common Restaurant Injury Hazards
Restaurant injuries frequently involve:
- Wet and greasy floors: Kitchen grease, spilled drinks, tracked-in rainwater, and freshly mopped floors without adequate warning signs — the leading cause of restaurant slip and fall claims
- Uneven flooring and transitions: Carpet-to-tile transitions, raised thresholds, steps without handrails, and damaged flooring
- Defective furniture: Broken chairs, unstable tables, and collapsing booths that cause falls or injuries
- Burns: Hot surfaces, scalding beverages, flaming desserts, and hot plates served without adequate warning
- Foodborne illness: Undercooked food, cross-contamination, allergen exposure, and health code violations
- Falling objects: Unsecured décor, ceiling fixtures, or shelving that falls onto guests
Common Hotel Injury Hazards
Hotel injuries present unique risks due to the 24-hour nature of the business and guests’ unfamiliarity with the property:
- Bathroom falls: Slippery bathtubs, showers without grab bars or non-slip surfaces, wet bathroom floors, and inadequate lighting
- Balcony and railing failures: Inadequate or broken balcony railings, especially dangerous at upper-floor rooms
- Swimming pool accidents: See our swimming pool accident page for detailed information on pool safety and liability
- Elevator and escalator malfunctions: Mechanical failures causing falls, entrapment, or crushing injuries
- Bed bug infestations: Failure to inspect, treat, and eradicate bed bug infestations causing physical and emotional harm
- Carbon monoxide exposure: Malfunctioning heating systems and poor ventilation
- Security failures: Assaults, robberies, and sexual assaults resulting from inadequate security measures
Premises Liability Law for Hospitality Businesses
Under Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 51-3-1), restaurants and hotels must exercise ordinary care to keep their premises safe for guests. South Carolina imposes a similar duty. Because guests are invitees, the business must proactively inspect the property, discover hazards, and correct them promptly — or provide adequate warnings.
Hotels have an especially high duty because guests are sleeping on the premises and are particularly vulnerable during overnight hours. Georgia courts have recognized that innkeepers have an elevated responsibility for guest safety.
Multiple Liable Parties
Restaurant and hotel injury cases often involve multiple defendants:
- The business operator (franchisee or management company)
- The property owner (if different from the operator)
- The franchisor (in franchise hotel/restaurant cases where the brand sets safety standards)
- Maintenance contractors responsible for cleaning, repair, or snow/ice removal
- Third-party security companies
Compensation for Restaurant and Hotel Injuries
Injured guests may recover all medical expenses, lost wages and earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and travel-related losses. Both Georgia and South Carolina allow full compensatory damages under their respective tort laws, and punitive damages may be available where the business demonstrated egregious disregard for guest safety.
