A serious injury at a hotel can turn a vacation or business trip into months of medical care and uncertainty. Hulburt Law Firm represents guests and visitors injured at hotels and resorts throughout San Diego County.
We investigate what caused the injury, what the hotel knew, and whether it took reasonable steps to protect its guests. If you have already returned home, we can help you understand your options and what pursuing a claim in San Diego would involve.
Seriously injured in a hotel or resort accident? We can help.

An unsafe condition in a guest room, by the pool, or on a stairway can cause a serious injury. Hulburt Law Firm handles hotel injury cases involving dangerous property conditions, inadequate maintenance, and failures to protect guests. We investigate how the injury happened and who was responsible for keeping the area safe.
Wet floors, uneven walkways, broken stairs, and loose railings can cause serious slips, trips, and falls. Unsafe windows and balconies can put children at risk of devastating falls from height. We investigate the condition that caused the injury, what the hotel knew, and whether reasonable inspections or repairs could have prevented it.
Conor Hulburt secured a $1 million settlement for a guest who suffered a serious back injury after slipping on water from a leaking air-conditioning unit at a Coronado resort hotel. Housekeeping and maintenance records showed the hotel already knew about the leak.
Broken pool gates, slippery decks, unsafe drains, and poorly marked water depths can put hotel guests at risk of serious injury. For families with young children, an unsecured pool area can lead to tragedy in moments.
We handle cases involving drownings, near-drownings, and serious injuries at hotel and resort pools and spas. Our investigation examines how the injury happened, the condition of the pool area, and whether inspections, maintenance, or appropriate safety measures could have prevented it.
Hotel shuttles, valet services, and resort rental equipment can cause serious injuries when vehicles or equipment are poorly maintained or operated carelessly. These cases may involve the hotel, an outside transportation company, or another service provider.
We investigate shuttle and valet crashes, injuries involving rental bikes and e-bikes, and unsafe recreational equipment. We examine maintenance records, staff training, and who operated the service to identify the parties responsible.
Elevators that stop unevenly, doors that close unexpectedly, and escalators that malfunction can seriously injure hotel guests. Sudden stops and unexpected movements can cause falls or trap passengers.
We examine maintenance records, inspection reports, and prior complaints to determine what went wrong and whether the hotel or a service contractor failed to address a known problem.
Hotel performances and organized activities can cause serious injuries when staff handle props or equipment unsafely. When an injury happens outside the United States, determining where to bring the case can present additional challenges.
Conor Hulburt represented a family whose young daughter suffered a skull fracture when a stage prop flew off the stage during a hotel staff performance at a large international hotel outside the United States. He pursued the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego, overcame motions to dismiss, and achieved a significant settlement for the family.
Broken door locks, poor lighting, and failures to respond to known threats can leave hotel guests vulnerable to assault or robbery. We investigate whether the hotel overlooked warning signs or failed to take reasonable steps to protect its guests.
Our investigation examines prior incidents, guest complaints, security procedures, and the condition of locks, entrances, and parking areas. These records help show what the hotel knew and how it responded before a guest was harmed.
Conor and Leslie Hulburt founded Hulburt Law Firm to give serious injury and wrongful death cases the preparation and personal attention they deserve. The firm accepts a limited number of cases so clients work directly with their attorneys.
Conor Hulburt’s hotel injury experience includes securing a $1 million settlement for a guest injured at a Coronado resort hotel and a significant settlement for a family whose young daughter suffered a skull fracture during a hotel performance abroad.
Leslie Hulburt brings extensive litigation experience, representing clients through discovery, mediation, trial, and appeal. Together, they investigate what happened, demonstrate the full impact of the harm, and prepare each case to hold the responsible parties accountable.

Our attorneys have obtained substantial recoveries in serious hotel injury and premises liability cases.
Settlement against an apartment complex that failed to address dangerous second-story window seats, resulting in a toddler falling through a window and suffering a severe brain injury.
A known AC unit leak in a hotel bathroom caused a guest to slip and fall and seriously injure her back and spine.
A young girl suffered a skull fracture when a stage prop flew off the stage during a hotel staff performance.
We begin with a free consultation to understand how you were injured, the care you have received, and how your life has changed. We explain your options and answer your questions so you can decide what to do next.
We request preservation of relevant surveillance footage and hotel records. We gather photographs, speak with witnesses, and pursue housekeeping notes, maintenance records, and prior complaints to establish what happened and who was responsible.
We investigate what caused the injury, what the hotel knew, and whether it took reasonable steps to protect its guests. We examine the roles of the property owner, hotel operator, and any contractors involved.
We document your medical care, lost income, and the injury’s effect on your daily life. When needed, we work with experts to explain future treatment needs and lasting physical, emotional, and financial harm.
We present the evidence and pursue a settlement that accounts for the full impact of your injuries. We explain each offer and advise you on its strengths and shortcomings. The decision to settle is yours.
When a lawsuit is needed, we pursue evidence through discovery, address legal challenges, and prepare your case for trial. Settlement discussions can continue during litigation, while we remain prepared to present your case in court.

A serious injury can change your life long after your hotel stay ends. You deserve attorneys who understand the harm, uncover the truth, and prepare your case to hold the responsible parties accountable.
Hulburt Law Firm accepts a limited number of cases so Conor and Leslie can give you the preparation and personal attention your case deserves.
An injury at a hotel does not automatically make the hotel responsible. A claim examines what caused the harm, what the hotel should have done to prevent it, and how its failure affected the injured guest.
California law requires hotels to use reasonable care to keep their property reasonably safe. That includes taking reasonable steps to discover unsafe conditions and repairing them or providing adequate warnings. These duties are reflected in California’s jury instruction on property owners’ basic duty of care.
For a hotel, that can mean inspecting guest rooms, responding to maintenance complaints, and addressing hazards in pools, stairways, and other common areas. Whether the hotel acted reasonably depends on the circumstances, including the likelihood of injury, the seriousness of the danger, and what the hotel knew or should have known.
In cases involving unsafe property conditions, a central question is whether the hotel knew or should have known about the danger and failed to repair it, protect guests, or provide an adequate warning. California’s jury instruction on unsafe conditions describes this standard.
Actual notice means the hotel knew about the hazard, for example through a guest complaint or a maintenance report. Constructive notice means the condition existed long enough that the hotel, using reasonable care, should have discovered and addressed it. The jury instruction on constructive notice explains how the condition’s nature and duration affect that determination.
In Conor Hulburt’s Coronado hotel case, a housekeeping note and maintenance work order showed that the hotel knew the guest’s air-conditioning unit was leaking before she fell. Records like these can establish what staff knew, when they knew it, and whether they took action.
A hotel may share responsibility for injuries caused by an assault or robbery if it failed to take reasonable precautions against criminal conduct it could reasonably anticipate. California’s jury instruction on criminal conduct on business property explains this duty.
The precautions required depend on the warning signs and the burden of preventing the harm. Hiring security guards generally requires a stronger showing of foreseeable danger than simpler measures, such as repairing a broken lock. Prior similar crimes can support a claim, but they are not the only evidence that matters.
We examine prior incidents, reports of threats, guest complaints, and the hotel’s response. The question is whether reasonable action by the hotel could have prevented the harm.
The name on the hotel sign may be different from the company that owns the property or manages its daily operations. Identifying the responsible parties requires examining who controlled the area, equipment, or activity that caused the injury.
A hotel brand is not automatically responsible simply because its name appears on the building. Its role in the relevant operations can matter. In Patterson v. Domino’s Pizza, LLC, the California Supreme Court examined a franchisor’s control over day-to-day operations when deciding whether it could be held responsible for a franchisee’s employee’s conduct.
We review ownership records, management agreements, and service contracts to understand each company’s role. Depending on what happened, the investigation may include the property owner, hotel operator, management company, or contractors responsible for security, pool care, elevator service, or other maintenance.
Returning home does not prevent you from pursuing a claim for an injury at a San Diego hotel. California law generally allows a personal injury lawsuit to be filed in the county where the injury occurred, including when the injured person lives elsewhere. Code of Civil Procedure § 395 addresses where these cases may be brought.
Much of the work with your attorneys can happen by phone, video, and electronic document exchange. California also permits remote depositions, subject to applicable procedures and court orders. Whether you need to return for a deposition, medical examination, or trial depends on your case.
Keep your booking confirmation, incident information, photographs, and records of medical treatment after you return home. We can help you understand what pursuing the claim would involve and plan for any travel that may be necessary.
In California, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. The deadline applies to filing in court, not simply reporting the injury to the hotel or opening an insurance claim. The California Courts’ guide to filing deadlines explains the general rule.
Different deadlines can apply in some cases. For an injured child, the filing period generally pauses until age 18 under Code of Civil Procedure § 352. That protection generally does not apply to claims subject to government claim requirements. If a public entity may be responsible, a government claim usually must be presented within six months, followed by a separate deadline to sue.
Evidence can disappear long before the filing deadline. Surveillance footage may be overwritten, a room may be repaired, and witnesses may become harder to locate. Early investigation helps preserve the evidence needed to explain what happened.
We uncover the records and facts that reveal how the hotel failed to protect you.
We use technology to organize evidence and tell your story clearly.
We pursue compensation for the full impact of your injuries, now and in the future.
We bring courtroom experience and thorough preparation to challenging hotel injury cases.
You work directly with Conor and Leslie, with personal attention throughout your case.
Get medical care first. If you are able, take these steps before leaving:
If your injuries prevent you from gathering evidence, a family member or traveling companion may be able to help. An attorney can also request preservation of relevant surveillance footage and hotel records.
Hotel injury cases can be challenging because the hotel often controls records needed to prove what happened. An injury on the property alone does not establish responsibility. In an unsafe-condition case, you generally must show that the hotel knew or should have known about the danger and failed to take reasonable action, as explained in California’s jury instruction on unsafe conditions.
Housekeeping notes, maintenance records, surveillance footage, and prior complaints can help establish those facts. We work to preserve and obtain that evidence, identify the responsible companies, and connect their failures to the guest’s injuries.
A building, fire, or pool safety violation can help establish negligence if it caused the injury and the rule was intended to protect people like the injured guest from that kind of harm. This is called negligence per se. We investigate which requirements applied and how the violation contributed to the injury. A violation does not automatically establish the entire claim, and the hotel may raise a legally recognized excuse.
Yes. Under California’s comparative fault rule, partial fault does not automatically prevent recovery, but your compensation is reduced by your percentage of responsibility. The hotel must prove that your negligence contributed to the injury.
A hotel may also argue that you should have noticed the danger. An obvious hazard can eliminate the duty to warn, but the hotel may still need to take precautions when it can foresee that guests must encounter the condition out of necessity.
It may be, but a wet floor or a fall alone does not establish responsibility. The evidence must show an unsafe condition that the hotel knew or should have known about and failed to repair, guard against, or adequately warn guests about. California’s jury instruction on unsafe conditions explains this standard.
A recurring leak, prior guest complaints, or an unresolved maintenance request can help establish what the hotel knew. In Conor Hulburt’s Coronado case, a housekeeping note and maintenance work order showed that the hotel knew the room’s air-conditioning unit was leaking before the guest fell.
Not automatically. Whether a waiver affects your claim depends on its wording, the circumstances of the agreement, and the conduct that caused your injury. Signing a reservation or check-in form does not, by itself, establish that you gave up your right to recover compensation.
A separate waiver for a recreational activity, such as a rental bike or water sport, may limit claims for ordinary negligence. However, the California Supreme Court has held that releases of future gross negligence in recreational activities are generally unenforceable. City of Santa Barbara v. Superior Court explains that distinction.
Keep your booking confirmation and anything you signed. We can review those documents to determine how they may affect your case.
Yes. A hotel injury claim can include compensation for anxiety, fear, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life caused by the injury. These losses are recognized in California’s jury instruction on pain, suffering, and emotional distress.
We work to show how the injury has affected your daily life, including your sleep, relationships, independence, and ability to enjoy familiar activities. Your account, observations from people close to you, and relevant treatment records can help explain those effects.
There is no reliable settlement amount based on the type of accident alone. A case’s value depends on the evidence of responsibility, the seriousness of the injury, and its lasting effect on your life.
Compensation may include past and future medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering. Disputed liability, any share of fault assigned to you, and available insurance can also affect the potential recovery.
We evaluate the evidence and the full impact of your injuries before advising you about settlement. A result in another case does not determine what your claim is worth.
Nothing upfront. We handle hotel injury cases on a contingency fee, which means our attorney’s fee comes out of the recovery, and there is no attorney’s fee unless we win. Case costs are addressed separately in the written fee agreement.
Your initial case review is free and confidential. We explain the fee agreement and how costs are handled before you decide whether to hire us.
Hulburt Law Firm represents guests and visitors injured at hotels and resorts throughout San Diego County, including Hotel Circle in Mission Valley, downtown’s Gaslamp Quarter and bayfront, Coronado, La Jolla, Del Mar, and Carlsbad.

Simply fill out the form or call 619.821.0500 to receive a free case review. We’ll evaluate what happened, your injuries, and potential defendants to determine how we can best help you.