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STEVE CRANE JR is the Attorney that gets you justice for HOTEL sexual abuse and ASSAULT.
HOTEL SEXUAL ABUSE | Civil Lawsuits
STEVE CRANE SECURES JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF HOTEL SEXUAL ABUSE AND ASSAULT.
Sexual assaults can occur anywhere predators and opportunity come together, whether you’re at work or on vacation. Hotels and motels have a responsibility to protect guests from violent crime such as assaults and sexual predators. They should provide proper security within the hotel, on motel property, and in parking lots and garages. When they fail in their duty to keep you safe, they need to be held accountable.
Hotels are the primary venue for sex trafficking. It appears hotel chains have been fully aware of the illegal activities on their properties for years.
If you or a loved one have suffered a sexual abuse, assault and battery or other criminal act in a hotel, motel or Airbnb, Steve Crane can help you recover compensation for your trauma.
Steve Crane and his team are deeply committed and driven to help survivors recover whatever has been taken from them together with recovery for what they have suffered and lost as a result of sexual abuse and assaultive acts by another in their childhood or as an adult.
Steve is relentless in his pursuit of being the survivor’s champion. Why? What lit this intense fire in him?
Early in his life, Steve witnessed pre-teens and teens being bullied, hazed and attacked by other pre-teens and teens. The perpetrators attacked because they could. They had power and dominance, while the victims did not. For each attack, Steve stepped in and stopped it. Steve has always remained vigilant, highly insightful, compassionate, approachable, tolerant, and understanding the pain endured by others.
Steve is personally and professionally driven to help victims of past and present sex abuse, bullying, hazing and physical assaults to find safety, to recover and put their lives back together. He is truly a comforting light – assuring protection, and safety in addition to winning the financial compensation his clients deserve for their pain and loss.
If you are a victim or survivor of hotel sexual assault, you should contact experienced and respected attorney Steve Crane. He and his team can assess the facts of your case and help you in a trusted, private and secure manner determine the best course of action to move forward.
To schedule a discrete and confidential consultation about your matter, email or call us at (833) 855-4400.
Hotel Sexual Abuse Quick Links
Can travel-booking sites be held accountable?
Panic buttons for hotel & motel housekeepers
When are hotels and motels liable for sexual assault?
Hotel liability in cases of sex trafficking
When does the clock begin to tick for filing a lawsuit?
Compassionate legal support for hotel guests and employees
Is there confidentiality and privacy when filing a sexual abuse civil lawsuit?
HOTELS ARE A HOTBED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT & HUMAN TRAFFICKING
The National Crime Victimization Survey found that hotels are the location in just 0.3% of violent crimes reported each year. Even so, that can translate to 7,840 sexual assaults in hotels, where people should be relaxing and enjoying a nice vacation. These figures are likely a small fraction of what is actually occurring, as most sexual assaults go unreported.
Recently, a number of lawsuits have been filed against major hotel chains for ignoring human traffickers using their hotels to perpetuate their crimes. These lawsuits have the same allegations at their core: “Human traffickers have capitalized on the hospitality industry’s refusal to adopt and implement industry-wide standards and anti-trafficking policies and procedures, including, but not limited to, training hotel staff on how to identify obvious and well-known signs of sex trafficking.”
If you were a victim of sex trafficking and were forced to work at a hotel or motel, or another venue like a nightclub or truck stop, you may be able to file a civil lawsuit and pursue compensation. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by human trafficking, but it can at least offer some kind of compensation, as well as hold those responsible accountable.
Steve Crane can help you recover compensation for your trauma. Steve is personally and professionally driven to help victims of past and present sex abuse, bullying, hazing and physical assaults to find safety, to recover and put their lives back together. He is truly a comforting light – assuring protection, and safety in addition to winning the financial compensation his clients deserve for their pain and loss.
CAN TRAVEL-BOOKING SITES BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE?
In some sexual assault cases, the perpetrators and the hotel operators aren’t the only ones who can be held liable for the abuse. If you booked a vacation on a travel site, you may be wondering if they bear any responsibility in a hotel sexual assault case.
Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act protects third-party publishers (such as Yelp, Craigslist, and TripAdvisor) from liability for what people post on their sites and allows websites to block objectionable content. However, at least one court has ruled that these rules do not apply if the plaintiffs are able to demonstrate that the website operators knew of the risks beforehand and failed to warn their audience.
PANIC BUTTONS FOR HOTEL & MOTEL HOUSEKEEPERS
Housekeepers are victims of harassment and assault with alarming frequency. According to The Center for American Progress, of all sexual harassment charges filed in the past decade occurring in service-sector industries, more than 25 percent were filed by hotel workers, airline attendants, and restaurant wait staff.
In Chicago, unions say 58% of their hotel workers had experienced at least one incident of sexual harassment by guests.
Hotel employers have a duty to provide employees with sexual violence prevention training, screen other staff members, and report any known assaults to the proper authorities.
Seattle and Chicago have already gone a step further and enacted new laws that require hoteliers to install panic buttons for housekeepers. Now, at the push of a button, housekeepers can alert supervisors immediately if there are unwanted sexual advances or trouble brewing in one of the rooms.
Major hotel brands like Marriott are also considering implementing panic buttons for hotel housekeepers across all properties in their portfolios. Miami Beach and Las Vegas currently have similar bills on the floor.
Though panic buttons can be costly and time-consuming to implement, it would be a wise move forward in an age where big companies can no longer avoid liability.
WHEN ARE HOTELS AND MOTELS LIABLE FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT?
There are different reasons why a hotel or motel could be liable for a sexual assault that occurs on their property. Owners of commercial and public property have a duty to protect their visitors from criminal attacks and assaults that they could have reasonably anticipated. If the hotel anticipates criminal activity, then the owners need to take reasonable steps to protect customers and others on the property from the attacks.
Hotels and motels can be held liable under theories of negligent security or breach of contract.
WHAT IS NEGLIGENT SECURITY?
Many people enter hotel and motel rooms at night, while it’s dark. Travelers are likely to be unfamiliar with the area, and intoxicated patrons may be unable to consent to sexual activity. For these reasons, it’s imperative that owners and managers keep their establishments as safe as possible.
Some of the many steps that hotels and motels should take to protect their patrons include:
- Conducting background checks on employees, especially those with access to rooms
- Evicting guests who are violent or drunk
- Having proper alarm systems in place
- Hiring a security staff and making it easy for visitors to contact the staff
- Keeping entranceways locked during specific hours
- Making sure that the hallways, garages, and public areas have good lighting
- Monitoring who can use key cards
- Providing locks and electronic access keys in limited numbers
- Using surveillance cameras in hallways, public areas, and parking lots
WHAT IS BREACH OF CONTRACT?
Guests who stay in a hotel or motel may have the right to hold the owners liable for an assault because they pay for more than just a room and the right to use the lobby, restaurant, and other facilities – as a guest, you pay to stay in a safe place. It is possible that owners and operators may be liable for your assault for breaching this contract.
HOTEL LIABILITY IN CASES OF SEX TRAFFICKING
The Department of Homeland Security has singled out hotels and motels as “attractive locations” for sex traffickers due to the relative anonymity that such locations provide, and for the lack of training staff receives in identifying trafficking victims.
However, according to Trafficking Matters, “hotels can be held civilly and criminally liable for allowing sex trafficking to occur on their property. The law allows a survivor to bring a case against the trafficker, but also against any entity who financially benefited from his or her victimization and knew or should have known that the activity was a violation of human trafficking law.”
If you have been a victim of sex trafficking, and your abuser held you by means of force, fraud, or coercion in a hotel or motel, the owners and operators may be at least partially liable for your damages.
WHEN DOES THE CLOCK BEGIN TO TICK FOR FILING A LAWSUIT?
Under Michigan law (MCL 600.5805) a plaintiff has three years from the date of the incident to file a lawsuit. The “clock” will begin to “tick” on the date of the criminal act that caused your injuries. There are exceptions to the rules. Minors and victims of sexual abuse may have up to three years or the age of 28 years old, whichever is longer. In some cases, you may have less time to file a claim.
Contact Steve Crane and Crane Law now and be assured he and his team will discretely and in full confidence discuss your case. Steve and his team provide a safe and secure environment for you to discuss your needs with an attorney.
To schedule a discrete and confidential consultation about your matter, email or call us at (833) 855-4400.
COMPASSIONATE LEGAL SUPPORT FOR HOTEL GUESTS AND EMPLOYEES
Public opinion is turning. The litigation climate is favorable to victims. Still, you cannot win a case against a big-name hotel without the right representation.
Steve Crane and Crane Law will help you explore all legal avenues for pursuing justice and find the support you need to pursue healing after your traumatizing assault. Steve and his focused team have years of experience and specializes in civil sexual assault cases. He prides himself in offering “purposeful client centric” legal support to his client. He has a personal vested interest in ending the epidemic of sexual abuse.
The statute of limitations clock is ticking. Do not delay in contacting Steve Crane.
To schedule a discrete and confidential consultation about your matter, email or call us at (833) 855-4400.
IS THERE CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY WHEN FILING A SEXUAL ABUSE CIVIL LAWSUIT?
In some cases, Michigan Courts will protect your right to file as a “Jane or John Doe” and permit you to maintain anonymity and privacy while still allowing you to pursue justice. If you are a survivor of sexual assault, it is important that you have legal counsel that understands and has compassion to address the damages you have suffered emotionally and physically.
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by speaking with Steve Crane and his team regarding your safety, good name and legal options.
If you work for a hotel in Michigan, where you have suffered sexual harassment or abuse, you don’t have to wait for the law to catch up. Contact Steve Crane and Crane Law now and be assured he and his team will discreetly and in full confidence discuss your case for a free, confidential case evaluation.
You may be afraid to sue if you want to keep your job, but we have had many clients stay with their employers when an amicable settlement is reached. The suit can be a necessary wake-up call that better practices need to be put in place to protect workers.
Steve has helped victims of sexual assault and abuse obtain substantial recoveries when they were abused by hotel employees or contractors. He has also succeeded in bringing cases when a hotel or rental property was unsecured and where a hidden defect of the property contributed to the case of sexual assault or abuse.
To schedule a discrete and confidential consultation about your matter, email or call us at (833) 855-4400.
DISCLAIMER: The information in this blog is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information contained in this blog or on this website should be construed as legal advice from Crane Law PLLC or Steve Crane, Esq. Neither your receipt of information from this website nor your use of this website to contact Crane Law PLLC or Steve Crane, Esq. creates an attorney-client relationship between you and the firm or any of its lawyers. No reader of this website should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this website without seeking the appropriate legal advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s jurisdiction.