What To Do After Getting Injured At A Hotel In Illinois

Getting hurt while staying at a hotel is shocking, stressful, and sometimes life-changing. Whether you slipped on a wet lobby floor, fell down an unmarked stairway, were bitten by a dog owned by another hotel guest, or were injured by faulty furniture or security failures, you have immediate practical steps to take to protect your health and preserve your legal rights. In this blog, we provide a clear, step-by-step guide tailored to Illinois visitors and residents on what to do if you’ve been injured at a hotel or motel.

“Hotels promise safety and comfort to their guests. When that promise is broken and someone is injured because the property was unsafe or the hotel ignored a known danger, the injured person deserves a full accounting, both for medical care today and fair compensation for what comes next. Don’t let paperwork or a quick settlement take away your right to proper care and recovery.” — John J. Malm, Naperville slip and fall accident attorney

Facts and Statistics on Hotel Injuries

The hotel and motel industry experienced 11,320 nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work in 2020, illustrating the risk of serious injuries in hospitality settings.
Liberty Mutual’s Workplace Safety Index has repeatedly identified falls on the same level and related sprains/strains as among the costliest injury causes for leisure and hospitality. Liberty Mutual estimated that the industry’s top five injury causes accounted for over $2.8 billion in costs.
Falls are a major public-health problem for older adults. In Illinois during 2022, state data reported over 2.16 million falls among older adults, with 1,184 older adult deaths from falls that year, illustrating why falls at hotels can be especially dangerous for older people.
Nationally, in 2021 there were about 38,742 deaths among older adults from unintentional falls, underscoring the severity of fall injuries.

The Law in Illinois

A few legal basics to keep in mind when your injury happened at a hotel in Illinois.

Premises liability: Hotels owe guests a duty to maintain reasonably safe premises and to warn of or correct dangerous conditions they know (or should know) about. Illinois courts apply these principles when evaluating hotel injury claims.
Statute of limitations (deadline to sue): In Illinois, most personal injury lawsuits, including premises liability claims, must be filed within two years of the date the injury occurred. Missing this deadline can forever bar a claim. Contact an experienced Illinois premises liability lawyer immediately and file early if you’re thinking about a lawsuit.
Special rules: Claims against government-owned properties or certain public entities may require shorter notice periods or special procedures, so consult an attorney quickly if the hotel is government-owned.

First Priorities: Your Safety and Medical Care

If you are injured, your health comes first.

Call 911 if you believe the injury is serious (unconsciousness, heavy bleeding, suspected broken bones, head or neck injury).
If the injury seems less severe, get medical attention promptly. Urgent care or an emergency room visit creates a medical record that links the injury to the date and circumstances.
Keep all medical records, bills, imaging and notes about symptoms and recovery. These records are essential for insurance claims and any lawsuit.

Getting immediate medical care does more than protect your health: it documents the injury right away, which is crucial if you later need compensation.

Report The Accident to Hotel Management

You should notify hotel staff or management as soon as you can after the accident.

Ask for a written incident or accident report and request a copy. If the hotel refuses, write your own short report with the date, time, location, and a brief description, and keep a copy.
Identify the employee you reported the injury to (name, position) and the time of the report.
If security or police responded, get a case or report number.

A contemporaneous report helps show the hotel knew about the incident and how it responded, which is valuable evidence for any claim. Illinois courts analyze what the property owner knew or should have known when deciding premises liability cases, such as slip and falls, and accident reports can help show what the hotel knew.

Preserve Evidence and Document Everything

Good documentation is often the difference between a successful claim and no recovery.

Take photographs and video of the exact location, the hazard (wet floor, broken rail, torn rug, faulty lighting), any warning signs (or lack of them), and your injuries (bruises, cuts, swelling).
Save the clothing and shoes you were wearing at the time of the accident. If they’re damaged, keep them in a paper bag (not plastic) and label it with the date.
Write down a detailed account of what happened as soon as you can: time, exact location (e.g., “north lobby near pool entrance”), lighting conditions, weather (if outside), and what you were doing just before the injury.
Collect contact information for witnesses and ask them for a short written or recorded statement if they’re willing.

Physical evidence and contemporaneous photos are extremely persuasive, and hotel staff can and do clean up, change signage, or repair conditions, so act quickly.

Keep Records of Your Losses and Expenses

Track every cost and loss related to the injury.

Medical bills and receipts (doctor, hospital, imaging, prescriptions, medical devices).
Receipts for transportation to appointments (ride shares, gas, parking).
Pay stubs or employer statements showing lost wages or reduced hours.
Receipts for out-of-pocket expenses (medications, home help, physical therapy).
A daily journal describing pain levels, restrictions, therapy, and how the injury affects daily life.

These records support claims for medical expenses, lost income, and “pain and suffering.” Insurance companies look for detailed documentation when evaluating a personal injury case.

When to Consult a Personal Injury Attorney

You should strongly consider consulting an attorney if any of the following apply:

Your medical bills are high or you have long-term/ongoing treatment.
You lost significant income or can’t return to work.
Liability is disputed or the hotel claims you were at fault.
There are complicated facts (e.g., security failures, assault on premises, elevator or pool equipment defects).

An experienced Illinois premises liability attorney can preserve evidence, handle communications with insurers, calculate a fair value for your case, and litigate if necessary. In many cases, attorneys offer free consultations and work on contingency, meaning they are paid only if you recover.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hotel Injuries

Q: How long do I have to file a lawsuit if I was hurt at a hotel in Illinois?
A: In most cases you have two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit in Illinois (735 ILCS 5/13-202). File earlier if possible, evidence disappears and witnesses forget details over time.

Q: Will the hotel automatically pay my medical bills?
A: No. The hotel’s insurer may offer to pay certain bills, but insurers often dispute liability or offer low settlements. Don’t accept a full release without legal advice.

Q: What if I was partly at fault for my injury?
A: Illinois applies comparative fault rules: your recovery may be reduced by your percentage of fault, but you can still recover even if you’re partly responsible. Your attorney can evaluate how comparative fault might apply.

Q: Should I contact the police after a hotel injury?
A: If criminal conduct (assault, theft, dangerous condition that created a crime) contributed to your injury or you were bitten by a dog, yes. For ordinary slip and falls, an internal hotel incident report and medical records are usually most important. But police reports can be helpful evidence in some cases.

Contact the Top-Rated Illinois Slip and Fall Lawyers at John J. Malm & Associates

If you or a loved one suffered an injury at a hotel in Illinois, you don’t have to face the insurance companies or the hotel’s legal team on your own. At John J. Malm & Associates, we have successfully represented victims of hotel dog bites, hotel slip and fall accidents, and other premises liability claims throughout Illinois. Our team will fight to protect your rights, hold negligent property owners accountable, and secure the compensation you need for medical bills, lost wages, and the challenges ahead. Contact us today for a free consultation and let us put our experience, knowledge, and dedication to work for you.