AirBnB Assaults

When you plan a vacation, a traditional hotel may not suit your needs. Perhaps you are traveling with a large group, plan on cooking during your stay, or want to experience a little more of the local culture than a hotel offers. AirBnB is a vacation rental company that allows travelers to rent a home, apartment, or even just a room in another’s home. While vacation rental companies offer many benefits over a hotel, they also come with certain risks. For example, in recent years, there have been a significant number of AirBnB assaults. While you may assume that AirBnB will fairly compensate travelers when they are assaulted at a vacation rental, that is not necessarily the case. At the law firm of Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, our committed team of South Florida personal injury lawyers helps victims of AirBnB assaults obtain compensation for their injuries. We have more than 100 years of experience investigating, preparing, negotiating, and litigating South Florida assault cases and know what it takes to hold violent parties and negligent property owners accountable for their actions.

Generally speaking, vacation rentals through AirBnB and other online vacation booking companies are safe. However, that isn’t to say that they are all safe. There have been reports of sexual assault, robbery, burglary, assault and battery, and other violent crimes in AirBnB rentals. The problem is, when these horrific crimes occur, the public often doesn’t hear about them because AirBnB does everything it can to keep the case out of the public’s eye. For example, AirBnB frequently includes non-disclosure agreements when they settle a case with an injured traveler, preventing the traveler from openly discussing the case. Thus, while most AirBnBs are generally safe, there are undoubtedly instances where they are not.

If you were assaulted at an AirBnB, there are several potential parties who may be liable for your injuries: AirBnB, AirBnB’s insurance company, the homeowner, the homeowner’s insurance company, or the person who assaulted you. In most cases involving a guest’s injury at an AirBnB, AirBnB’s insurance policy covers his or her damages.

To make travelers feel safe and to encourage them to book a rental, AirBnB provides a $1 million insurance policy that covers any guest injury caused by the homeowner’s negligence. For example, if you slipped and fell on a defective staircase, AirBnB’s insurance policy should cover your accident-related expenses. This is because the homeowner’s negligence in failing to ensure a safe premises contributed to your injuries.

However, AirBnB’s insurance policy may attempt to exclude coverage for any injuries caused by an intentional act, either by the homeowner or any other third party. Thus, in an AirBnB assault case, the insurance company may initially deny your claim. However, our attorneys can use our knowledge and experience to attempt to secure fair compensation on account of your injuries.

Even if AirBnB’s insurance company denies your claim, that does not mean that you cannot pursue legal action against the company. You can still bring a lawsuit against AirBnB. However, to do so successfully, our attorneys would need to prove how the company’s negligence contributed to your injuries. For example, if AirBnB had received numerous complaints of sexual assault but failed to address these concerns with the homeowner.

If you were assaulted while staying at an AirBnB, you are not without options; however, these cases are complex given the various parties involved. At the Miami personal injury law firm of Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, we have more than 100 years of collective experience handling all types of personal injury cases, including vacation rental assaults. We command an in-depth understanding of the laws that govern these claims as well as the insurance policies that are often implicated. To learn more about the services we provide and to schedule a free case evaluation, contact us at 305-448-8585. We represent patients throughout South Florida, including but not limited to Miami, Naples, Homestead, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.