Category Archives: Guest Issues

by | October 6, 2012 · 7:05 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: North Carolina Restaurant Ordered To Pay $1.7 Million To Parents Of "Unborn Child" Killed By Man In Alcohol-Related Head-On Collision

 “…attorneys say Huffman had been drinking at Eddie’s Place, and that his blood alcohol content was 0.23, nearly three times the legal limit in North Carolina…”

A jury has awarded a Charlotte couple $1.7 million in a lawsuit against a local restaurant in connection with a head-on collision that killed the couple’s unborn son.

Attorneys for Matt and Meredith Eastridge say 25-year-old David Canter Huffman was speeding in his Volvo on Oct. 29, 2010, when the car crossed the center line and hit Matt Eastridge’s Toyota RAV4.

Police say Huffman died in the crash, as did the Eastridges’ unborn son. Meredith Eastridge was a front-seat passenger and was six months pregnant.

For more:  http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/106eccfc426d4238a06f31c1cffbbf72/NC–Collision-Lawsuit

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by | October 4, 2012 · 6:29 am

Hospitality Industry Security Risks: Hotel "Electronic Room Locks" Opened With "Hacking Device" Tool Disguised As "Dry Erase Marker" (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyN-8CeNSZg]

A trio of hackers have built a tool that appears to be an innocent dry erase marker, but when inserted into the port on the bottom of a common form of hotel room keycard lock triggers the lock’s open mechanism in a fraction of a second.

The security researchers who spend their days breaking into clients’ systems to find and fix security vulnerabilities often call themselves “penetration testers,” or “pentesters.” But one group of hotel lock hackers just gave the term “pentest” a very different meaning.

The inconspicuous lock hacking device is an adaption of one demonstrated at the Black Hat security conference in July by Cody Brocious, a hacker and software developer for Mozilla, who discovered and exploited a vulnerability in Onity locks, a cheap and popular hotel room lock that the company says are used on at least four million hotel rooms worldwide. Through the port on the bottom of the lock intended for a device that hotels can use to set master keys, Brocious found he was able to read the lock’s memory, including a decryption key stored on the locks that gave him access to their opening mechanism.

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by | October 2, 2012 · 6:17 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Small California Restaurants Face "Expensive And Time-Consuming" ADA Lawsuits, Forcing Some To Close Down

“…Texas West BBQ in Sacramento faced a lawsuit in 2007…and made the needed changes…but then, in March of this year, a second lawsuit is forcing Texas West BBQ to make more changes to be ADA-compliant…including better striping in the parking lot, wider doors, and a larger bathroom…it will cost nearly $35,000…”

An American with Disabilities Act lawsuit was the last straw for a struggling, longtime burger business. Ford’s Real Hamburgers on Sutterville Road shut down just weeks after the governor signed a new state law that would crackdown on ADA lawsuit abuse.

Several attorneys have filed an exceptional number of lawsuits based on ADA violations. Attorney Scott Johnson has filed nearly 2,200 of them in federal court. More often than not, businesses settle after paying thousands of dollars.

“It scares you because it’s so expensive and time-consuming,” said Louise Haynes.

Gov. Brown just signed a bill co-authored by Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, that would prevent frivolous lawsuits. It would ban demand letters. It gives the defendant time to fix the ADA violations. It’ll also prevent lawyers from stacking multiple claims to increase pay-outs.

” It prevents what I like to call ‘legalized extortion,'” said Travis Hausauer who is co-chair of Californians Against Lawsuit Abuse. His Squeeze Inn Burger restaurant was sued twice by two different attorneys.

” I got sued in court the first time, then I got sued in federal court the second time around,” said Haushauer.

Many people believe the state law is a positive step. But some say it won’t stop ADA lawsuits because attorneys will continue to file lawsuits in federal court.

For more:  http://landpark.news10.net/news/news/105381-ada-lawsuit-leads-long-time-sac-burger-business-close

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by | September 29, 2012 · 6:51 am

Hospitality Industry Safety Risks: Hotel Guests At Risk Of Injury As Shower Door Glass Can Shatter With The "Force Of An Explosion"

“…court records (documented)…a federal lawsuit filed earlier this year against the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago. A woman, who stayed at the hotel in 2007, says she opened a shower door and suddenly “the force of an explosion” threw here “violently across the toilet” and caused her “serious injuries.” Pictures are filed with the lawsuit showing tiny particles of glass layered on the hotel bathroom and filling the toilet…”

Hotels need to be really vigilant about this problem…(says) a glass expert who may soon testify in three cases where guests were injured when their shower doors shattered… “The two main types of injuries are where their bodies get cut and the other ones are where they are walking out on glass and cutting their feet.”

Another couple posts video on Vimeo showing what allegedly happened to them during their Hawaiian honeymoon at the Ohana Hotel in Waikiki West. You can hear the water running from the shower, see his wife standing in the water, and feel her pain as she obviously had to find a way out through shattered glass all over the floor. The new groom, Lance Ogren, looks into his own home video camera and says, “I heard her start to open (the shower) and I heard a big crash.” Ogren tells CBS 11 news the hotel gave them an apology and a new room.

Meshulam says most shower doors have tempered glass which is heated and then cooled creating tension for durability. He demonstrated how hard it is to break slamming a hammer into a tempered glass shower door several times before it finally shatters. He says the door are considered safe because under stress they shatter into tiny pieces; however, he says there are several reasons why a shower door might explode.

One is a small crack, like the one in your windshield, that just slowly grows out like a spider web. “When it hits a certain part of the glass where all those internal tensions are residing then everything blows up.” He also says towel bars might not be installed properly. Or, doors may not slide on the tracks correctly. These can cause pressure over time. Finally, there could be a problem during the manufacturing process if a microscopic grain of nickel sulfide gets trapped inside the glass. This manufacturing defect is a “ticking time bomb.”

For more:  http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/09/28/cbs-11-investigates-shattering-shower-doors/

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by | September 28, 2012 · 6:16 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: California Hotel Sued By Family Of Woman Killed Crossing Street To Parking Lot; "Duty To Ensure Safety Of Guests"

“…The civil complaint alleges The Cliffs Resort has a duty to ensure the safety of its customers but failed to do so…the location is dangerous because resort patrons who do not use valet service must park on the east side of Shell Beach Road…they must cross the busy street without the benefit of a crosswalk, traffic controls, warning signs, or proper lighting…the lawsuit claims.”

The family of a woman struck and killed by an SUV while crossing Shell Beach Road in Pismo Beach nearly a year ago has filed a lawsuit seeking to improve safety at the site. The lawsuit was filed April 11 against The Cliffs Resort and the city of Pismo Beach by San Luis Obispo personal injury lawyer  Ryan Harris on behalf of the family of Tricia Rittger.

The Los Osos resident was 39 when she was struck Nov. 19, 2011, in front of the hotel and subsequently died, leaving behind husband Aaron and a 4-year-old daughter.

Harris said the lawsuit seeks to force The Cliffs and the city to improve safety for customers walking from the parking lot across Shell Beach Road to the hotel and restaurant.

For more: http://www.timespressrecorder.com/articles/2012/09/28/news/news54.txt

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by | September 27, 2012 · 6:08 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: "Wrongful Death" Lawsuit Filed Against Illinois Hotel For Legionnaire's Disease Outbreak Tied To Fountain In Lobby

“…Health officials tied the outbreak to the main fountain in  the hotel lobby. The plaintiff …alleges the  hotel didn’t properly maintain the fountain and said the company neglected to  prevent visitors from walking near the fountain when the hotel should have known  about the bacteria…”

The family of a Florida man who died after catching  Legionnaire’s disease at a Loop hotel has filed a wrongful death suit against  Marriott International. Luis Enrique Acevedo Muro was one of three people who died  after being exposed to Legionella bacteria at the JW Marriott Chicago Hotel, at  151 W. Adams St., according to the lawsuit and public health officials.

Acevedo Muro, of Key Biscayne, Fla., contracted Legionnaire’s  disease after  staying at the hotel from Aug. 1 to Aug. 3, the suit claims. He  died Aug. 14.

The eight-count suit, filed Wednesday in Cook County Circuit  Court,  claims wrongful death and survival action against Marriott and   Chicago-based developer The Prime Group, Inc.  It seeks an unspecified  amount in  damages. Neither company could be reached for comment Wednesday evening.

Legionnaires’ disease is contracted by breathing in mist or  vapors from water contaminated with the Legionella bacteria and usually develops  two to 14 days after exposure. It frequently begins with headache, high fever  and chills, and progresses by the second or third day to include a cough, chest  pain and shortness of breath.

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/legionnaires-disease-outbreak-chicago-hotel-marriot-171439911.html#ixzz27g7k8GHy

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by | September 26, 2012 · 6:17 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Risks: "Strong Smell" Leads Police To Meth Lab In Florida Motel Room

“…It’s  a huge public safety issue. The chemicals involved are volatile, can be volatile especially when mixed together. People that don’t know what they’re doing, even people who are experienced at cooking, still cause fires, explosions…”

Two men are accused of setting up a meth lab in a Tallahassee motel. It happened at the Super 8 motel on North Monroe Street.  Deputies say a tip led them to room 229 and the strong smell led them to a meth lab inside.

Jack Peppers and Kevin Smith – both of Thomasville – are accused of trafficking in meth, manufacturing meth and having the ingredients to make more. Deputies say one batch of the meth was ready and divided up for use.  Another batch, they say, was being chemically cooked upstairs.

“The dry product, we had about 16 grams which is worth about $1600 on the street which is pretty significant for what they consider a small lab,” said SGT Ed Cook with LCSO’s Vice and Narcotics Unit. “They also had another 500 grams of product that was still cooking.”

Deputies had to ventilate the room for hours before going inside to clean it up.  They say all of the adjoining rooms were vacant so they did not have to evacuate any other motel guests.

For more:  http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/Meth-Bust-at-Tallahassee-Motel-171177501.html

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by | September 19, 2012 · 6:18 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Massachusetts Hotel Evacuated After "Generator Room Fire" Causes Hotel To Lose Power

“…The fire caused to hotel to lose power and prompted the chief to order an  evacuation of the hotel…with the loss of the generator and the power out in the hotel, no elevators  or any electrical systems were working at all. without power, smoke alarms and other life safety  systems were not working, necessitating the evacuation…firefighters used  master keys to go room by room, floor by floor…”

The Boston Fire Department responded to a fire Wednesday morning at the  Doubletree Hotel on Soldiers Field Road in Allston for a fire in the generator  room. The generator was on the second floor in the adjacent parking garage. The  fire was contained to the electric panels and diesel fuel. With the help of the building’s staff the Boston Fire Department shut off  the fuel supply.

Firefighters were shifted over to help with evacuation once the fire was  knocked down. One extra engine and ladder were ordered to the scene. The Doubletree Hotel is a 15-story building.

The Boston Fire Department worked with the hotel to relocate the guests. The Boston Fire Chief ordered a building and an electrical inspector to the  scene to check out the generator room where the fire was. The Doubletree Hotel  had an electrical contractor and their building engineer on scene looking at  damage and rerouting power to the hotel.

Read more: http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/12008575511876/allston-hotel-evacuated-after-fire-in-generator-room/#ixzz26vOilXwX

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by | September 17, 2012 · 6:31 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Oregon Hotel Fire Caused By Cigarette Thrown In Bark Dust; $75,000 In Damage To Structure

“…the building’s fire sprinkler system activated in the attic and stopped that fire from spreading to the rest of the hotel…Fire investigators said the fire started in bark dust and they believe the fire had been burning for some time…The fire caused at least $75,000 in damages to the building and its contents…”

A cigarette is to blame for a fire that damaged the side of the Best Western Hotel in Forest Grove on Sunday afternoon. Firefighters were called to the hotel at 3933 Pacific Ave. at about 2:45 p.m. to reports of a fire burning up the side of the building.

When fire crews arrived, they were able to put the fire out, but not before it had spread up the two-story hotel.

Hotel guests had reported smelling smoke earlier in the day, but nothing was ever found.

A hotel housekeeper first spotted the fire and quickly started to evacuate about a dozen guests at the hotel.

Officials said another housekeeper grabbed a fire extinguisher but the fire was already burning inside the wall space. Staff at the hotel are working to find another hotel in the area for displaced guests.

Fire officials said this is one of several fires in bark dust that has occurred over the last week in Washington County.

For more:  http://www.kptv.com/story/19558127/fire-damages-forest-grove-hotel

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by | September 11, 2012 · 6:10 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: West Virginia Hotel Fire Destroys 30 Rooms, Killing One Man

“…Witnesses told authorities the fire appeared to start in the top section of the motel’s west wing, but no cause has been determined… The fire destroyed about 30 rooms…”

The West Virginia Fire Marshal’s Office says a Louisiana man has died of burns he suffered during a weekend hotel fire. Media outlets identified the victim as 21-year-old Dustin McCellen.

The marshal’s office didn’t provide his hometown, and the chief investigator on the Wilsonburg blaze didn’t immediately respond to a message Tuesday.

McCellen was an oil and gas industry worker who was staying at the Towne House West Motor Lodge when it caught fire early Sunday morning.

No one else was injured. Many of the rooms were rented by other gas workers who had gone home for the weekend.

For more:  http://www.wowktv.com/story/19511136/la-gas-worker-dies-of-burns-from-wva-motel-fire

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