Key points when you claim for a hotel injury
- Hotel owners and management owe a duty of care to protect guests and staff from avoidable harm.
- You can claim for an injury, food poisoning or other illness caused by hotel staff's negligence.
- You can also claim if you were injured while working in a hotel.
- You have up to 3 years from the date of your injury to start a claim, but you should start your claim as soon as you can.
- You should take photos and/or collect witness contact details as soon as you can. You will have a stronger claim if other guests were also injured or made ill.
- If you were injured in a hotel abroad, you can still claim with a UK solicitor if you booked through a UK tour operator.
- Your claim can proceed on a no win, no fee basis.
- The amount of compensation you can claim depends on the severity of your injury and any financial losses or expenses. Use our compensation calculator to find out how much you could receive.
If a hotel injury has set you back, we'll help you move forward
Hotel accidents, including slips, falls, or injuries caused faulty equipment, can ruin your trip and lead to urgent medical bills and other financial losses.
If a hotel accident has affected you or a loved one, we are ready to help. Whether the injuries happened in the UK or abroad, you may be entitled to compensation.
You can make a No Win, No Fee compensation claim for a hotel accident with the support of a personal injury solicitor.
You are not alone - Over 100,000 holidaymakers make medical claims abroad a year
According to the ABI, 112,000 Britons travelling abroad made medical claims in 2022. Over 400,000 hospitality workers are injured in the UK each year (abi.org.uk).
If you have an accident as the result of the negligence of hotel management, staff, a tour operator or a contractor operating on hotel premises, you may be able to claim hotel accident compensation.
How much compensation can I claim for a hotel injury?
The compensation you can claim for an injury or illness in a hotel will be determined by:
- the extent of your injury,
- the limitations your injury imposes on your daily life and work,
- any financial impacts or losses resulting from your injury.
Hotel accident injury
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General damages are based on the severity of your injuries, using guidelines set by the Judicial College (judiciary.uk).
Special damages cover any financial losses and expenses you incur as a result of your hotel accident. Special damages will also cover your medical treatment expenses, that might include pain medication and psychological support.
Read more:
A complete list of recoverable losses in a personal injury claim
How is compensation calculated if I have multiple injuries?
Average hotel accident injury general damages compensation table
The following hotel accident injury payouts refer to the Guidelines for the Assessment of General Damages in Personal Injury Cases, 17th Edition by the Judicial College (oup.com).
These tables are used by solicitors or by the courts as a starting point when calculating your compensation.
Please note: these average figures represent general damages only, and do not include any element of special damages (e.g. lost wages).
Ankle injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | Minor fractures, sprains, and ligament injuries with full recovery | Up to £15,250 |
| Moderate | A fracture or ligament injury with mild ongoing symptoms | £15,250 to £29,500 |
| Severe | Lengthy treatment required, and your ability to walk has been permanently affected | £34,740 to £55,540 |
Digestive problems
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | Pain, cramps and diahorea lasting days or weeks | £1,010 to £4,380 |
| Moderate | Food poisoning, cramps, and affected bowel function, with full recovery in one to two years | £4,380 to £10,580 |
| Serious | Serious food poisoning, possibly leading to toxicosis, hospital admission and IBS, affecting your work and quality of life | £42,640 to £58,250 |
Elbow injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery within 18 months | Simple fractures, cuts or injuries (e.g. tennis elbow) with no permanent symptoms | Up to £3,920 |
| Recovery between 18 to 36 months | Simple fractures, cuts or injuries (e.g. tennis elbow) with no permanent symptoms | Up to £7,210 |
| Recovery after 36 months | Simple fractures, cuts or injuries (e.g. tennis elbow) with no permanent symptoms or damage | Up to £13,970 |
Finger injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Relatively minor injury | Finger fractures that recover in under 6 months, and/or injuries with tenderness, pain in cold weather, or scarring | Up to £5,270 |
| Index finger fracture | Fracture fully heals, but with ongoing pain, disability and an increased risk of osteoarthritis | £10,110 to £13,570 |
| Finger fractures | Fractures that cause deformity, affect sensation, and/or have a long term affect on your grip and ability to use your hand | Up to £40,760 |
Hand injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) injuries to one or both hands | A fracture or break recovering within 6 months, and/or with scarring, tenderness and pain in cold weather | Up to £5,270 |
| Moderate injuries to one or both hands | Moderate crush injuries, penetrating wounds, or deep cuts | £6,280 to £14,730 |
| Moderate/serious injuries to one or both hands | Serious crush injury that causes impaired function andthat cannot be resolved with surgery | £16,040 to £32,170 |
Knee injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minor (relatively) | E.g. dislocation, torn cartilage or meniscus, that could cause future symptoms or weakness, or that exacerbated an existing injury | Up to £15,250 |
| Moderate | More serious knee injuries with a greater risk of future symptoms, pain and weakness | £16,460 to £29,050 |
| Serious | E.g. a leg fracture that extends to the knee joint, or injuries that cause constant pain and restricted movement, and/or a risk of osteoarthritis or future knee surgery | £29,050 to £48,210 |
Leg injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Simple femur fracture | Simple femur fracture with no damage to articular surfaces | £10,110 to £15,620 |
| More serious fractures | Incomplete fracture recovery with ongoing symptoms | £19,930 to £30,800 |
Wrist injury
| Severity | Example | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lesser | Relatively minor soft tissue injury or displaced fracture, with a full recovery within 12 months | £3,920 to £5,260 |
| Moderate | Uncomplicated Colles' fracture | Around £8,250 |
| Moderate | Fracture or soft tissue injury with complete recovery | £6,750 to £11,480 |
Do I have a hotel injury claim?
You can start a compensation claim for a hotel injury, if:
- you became ill within the last 3 years, and;
- another person was to blame, and;
- that person owed a duty of care to prevent foreseeable hazards.
Find out online if you can claim with our injury claim calculator. Alternatively, you can speak to a claims advisor on 0800 376 1001 and find out if you have a claim in minutes.
What if the accident was partly my fault?
Attributing blame for an accident isn't always clear-cut.
In our 2024 Public Liability Injury Claimant Survey, we found that 17.45% of respondents felt they had at least some responsibility for the injuries they sustained.
You can often still claim compensation even if you were partly to blame, as cases with shared fault usually settle with a split-liability agreement.
Read more:
Can I claim if I feel I was partly responsible for my accident?
Hotel accidents and occupier's liability
If you have been injured as a result of hotel negligence, you could a claim on the basis of 'occupier's liability'.
Occupiers have a 'duty of care' to take all reasonable measures to ensure the safety of their guests and employees.
The hotel operator should regularly assess their premises for hazards. They should identify all possible hazards and determine if action needs to be taken to reduce or remove the risks they pose.
Common causes of hotel accidents
- Swimming pools
- Balconies
- Slips, trips and falls from slippery or wet floors, trip hazards, staircases, reduced lighting levels,
- Food poisoning
- Burns - kettles, faulty or unfamiliar shower thermostats, trouser presses, buffets etc
Hotel worker accidents
Kitchen, restaurant and bar environments mean that hotel staff are often at even greater risk than the guests. If you have been injured working in a hotel, you would be able to pursue a claim against your employer.
A claim should still be possible even if you were working as a temp, via an agency or on a zero-hours contract.
Read more about making a work injury claim.
What should I do if I'm injured in a hotel?
If you are injured as a guest in a hotel you should:
- Seek appropriate medical attention.
- Ask the medical professional for written evidence of your visit and any treatment.
- Inform the hotel asap of the accident. Many hotels offer 24/7 cover so let them know immediately no matter what the time is.
- If the accident occurs abroad and you booked through a UK agent, inform the holiday rep or call the agent's office.
- Ask the hotel for their public liability insurer's details - ask for a photocopy of their policy certificate.
- Collect as much evidence as possible - take photographs from all angles, take a food sample.
- Ask any witnesses (guests and staff) for their contact details.
- write a detailed account of what happened
Who pays a hotel accident claim?
A hotel injury claim will, in most cases, be made against the hotel owner. If you are visiting the hotel as a guest, whether on holiday, on business, or for any other reason, the hotel has a duty to ensure that you are not injured.
The Occupiers Liability Act 1957 (legislation.gov.uk) lays out a legal framework to ensure you are protected while visiting someone else's property. The act allows for visitors to claim compensation against owners and occupiers.
In the UK hotels are obliged to have public liability insurance. A claim would most likely be pursued against the insurer. Any compensation awarded would be paid by the insurer.
If you are injured as an employee of the hotel, a claim would be made against the hotel's employer's liability insurance.
Understanding more about public liability for hotel injuries
Public liability is the basis for most hotel injury claims. Click the icon below to learn how the claims process works.
Can I make a no win, no fee hotel accident injury claim?
Yes. With no win, no fee, you can claim hotel accident injury compensation without financial risk. If your claim isn't successful, you pay nothing. If you win, you only pay a pre-agreed percentage of your compensation.
Get expert advice now
Interested in talking to an injury specialist about your claim?
- Calls are FREE
- Confidential consultation
- No obligation to claim
- No Win No Fee solicitors
Call 0800 376 1001
We are open until 9pm this evening.
or arrange a callbackAuthor:
Howard Willis, Personal injury solicitor
About the author
Howard Willis qualified as a solicitor in 1984 and has specialised in personal injury for over 25 years. He is a member of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and is a recognised Law Society Personal Injury Panel expert.