Posted on Mar 4, 2019 in Mardi Gras, Personal Injury

The most recent data, per NOLA.com, shows that the New Orleans area boasts nearly 40,000 hotel rooms. Whoa. I’m not going to lie, before I looked up that stat I knew it would be high, but that’s something else!

The fact of the matter is, people come from all over the world to visit New Orleans and have a good time. Particularly, during Mardi Gras, the city is flush with tourists and revelers. Hotels, restaurants, and bars are going to be packed, especially downtown.

Unfortunately, this sometimes creates a space for people to get injured. We hope your Mardi Gras is nothing but revelry, throws, floats and maybe just a smidge of debauchery. However, if you are injured while visiting New Orleans, you should know your options and rights. If you were injured due to negligence or wrongdoing, you may be entitled to compensation.

Hotel Injuries

At Bloom Legal, we’ve been handling personal injury claims for years. We have seen a large number of injuries sustained by visitors staying in hotels, and helped clients seek compensation for those injuries.

Hotels and their employees have a duty to their customers to provide a safe and sanitary space. Failure to do so may constitute neglect or wrongdoing.

Most hotels, especially the ones downtown, are going to have security guards on the premises. This is for the safety of the guests. However, sometimes disagreements or misunderstandings can arise between guests and security or other hotel employees.

Particularly when alcohol gets involved, guests can sometimes step out of line, acting erratically or rudely. Security and hotel employees are often overworked from the holiday season, or may be angry they can’t join in the celebration.

Regardless of the reason, violence is never a permissible response, and it’s against the law. We’ve seen cases where a security guard has flat out broke the jaw of some guest. Yes, the guest may have been acting belligerently, but nobody deserves that.

Other injuries at hotels may stem from faulty furniture or poor maintenance, to slip and falls, among other things.

For instance, if a shower or curtain rod falls on your head and you need stitches, you likely have a solid claim to recompense. We’ve seen other cases where the chemicals in the hotel pool have been off, and guests end up getting sick. Slip and fall injuries can also happen near the pool, or on newly cleaned and still wet surfaces.

If you were injured while staying in a hotel in New Orleans, you can call Bloom Legal for a free consultation. We’ll assess your case, let you know if you have a claim, and present your options to you.

Bar and Restaurant Injuries

Like hotels, bars, restaurants and other businesses have a responsibility to their patrons to provide safe and cleanly facilities. Failure to do so that results in the injury of their patron(s), may constitute negligence or wrongdoing.

If you’re an adult who enjoys a drink now and then, you’ve likely at some point encountered a surly doorman or bouncer who’s power and/or small t-shirt has gone to their head. Having an attitude is one thing, but bodily harm is another. It’s never okay to resort to violence.

That said, patrons also have a responsibility to the owners of the establishment they are visiting. Contrary to what some people may think, just because you are a paying customer doesn’t give you the right to act any way you like. If a bartender feels you have had to much to drink, they are required by law to cut you off. If you are asked to leave a bar, do it. The good news is, in New Orleans the next bar is right around the corner.

By law, restaurants must maintain a level of sanitation. If you are served old or damaged food which results in illness or something more serious, you may be due compensation for your suffering.

Transportation Injuries

We also often see an increase in traffic related injuries during the Mardi Gras season. There’s just so many people in the city, trying to get around, and on top of that many of the main streets are shut down for parades. This means traffic has to circumvent the parade routes, and gets clogged. Drivers get frustrated and accidents happen.

Make sure, especially when walking the quarter, to always be careful when crossing streets and crosswalks. The pedestrian always has the right away, however don’t always assume the vehicle will stop. When in doubt, wait to cross.

Be careful around the streetcars as well. These vehicles cannot make quick stops, and you don’t want to get stuck on the tracks in front of one in a car or on foot.

Cabs, Uber, and Lyft drivers will be everywhere, transporting locals and tourists alike to their destinations all around the city. These services are great for a lot of reasons, like convenience and avoiding drunk driving. However, they also come with their fair share of risks. Uber and Lyft drivers receive very little professional driving training, and oftentimes they may be drivers from the suburbs who are unfamiliar with downtown New Orleans.

If you are injured while riding Uber, Lyft, or a cab Bloom Legal can help.

Happy Mardi Gras from Bloom Legal!

Bloom Legal wants to wish everyone a happy and safe Mardi Gras. We encourage everyone to celebrate responsibly. When navigating the quarter, stay away from sidestreets and areas with poor lighting. Always travel with a friend, and never drink and drive.

If you’re visiting the city, check out our guide for New Orleans do’s and don’ts that you might not know about.

If you are injured while visiting New Orleans, or if you’re a local, make sure to go see a doctor as soon as possible. Your health is the most important factor following an injury, so make sure you are okay first.

After that, call Bloom Legal for a free case assessment. We will tell you whether you have a claim, devise and lay out strategies for you. We will go to work for you, handling everything from dealing with the insurance companies, to collecting evidence, to negotiating a settlement.

Give us a call today for a free consultation! We will be available and on-call 24/7 throughout the whole Carnival season.

Happy Mardi Gras and le bon temps roule!