Wrongful Death Lawsuit Stems from Alleged Faulty Atlanta Hotel Window

A 30-year-old woman was tragically killed when she fell out of an Atlanta hotel room window two months ago. The woman and her friends were celebrating her 30th birthday at a party in the hotel room when her and one of her girlfriends allegedly began to engage in horseplay.

The girls leaned against the glass window in the room when it shattered causing both women to fall out of the hotel from the 10th floor.

One friend landed on a sunroof just below the window and remains in the hospital receiving treatment for her injuries. The woman celebrating her birthday, 30 year old LaShawna Threatt, rolled off of the sunroof and suffered fatal injuries when she hit the ground. The parents of the deceased are now filing lawsuits based on their daughter’s fatal fall. The father is filing a lawsuit on behalf of his daughter's estate against the hotel. The mother of the balcony fall victim is filing a separate lawsuit on behalf of LaShawna Threat's young daughter.

The lawsuits are alleging that the hotel management knew that the glass in the Atlanta hotel room was not safe and that the hotel did nothing to remedy the dangerous fall hazard. Representatives for the hotel claim that the glass had been replaced, but the company that replaced the glass used glass that was not safe for use in an outside window.

Premises Liability Lawsuits

The W Hotel in Atlanta went through a $50 million renovation in 2007, but there were no permits issued for new windows. There is also no evidence of permit inspections being conducted for the window installation according to the City of Atlanta. A key issue in this case will be whether or not the windows were indeed safe or whether they were outdated and in need of replacement.

The attorneys for the family of the woman that took the fall off the Atlanta hotel balcony will probably conduct an investigation regarding the following issues:

• The attorneys will try to find evidence to determine if the women were roughhousing when the window broke or just leaning against the window. According to the fall victim’s fiancée, the two girls were hugging with one "leaning" against the glass when it broke.
• Obtain all police reports that were filed in conjunction with the accident.
• Interview all witnesses who saw the accident.
• Determine what type of glass was installed in the window that broke.
• Determine whether the glass was properly installed or the right type of glass was installed.
• Confirm that the hotel did not obtain proper permits or inspections for the windows.
• Seek company documents and other evidence indicating knowledge of the risk posed by the windows.

This type of investigation can be complicated but is essential to successfully developing the evidence to obtain appropriate financial compensation which will provide financial support and care for the Atlanta balcony fall accident victim’s surviving daughter. At Montlick and Associates we provide legal representation to clients in Atlanta and throughout Georgia who have been seriously injured due to the negligence of resorts and hotels, and other businesses, that fail to properly maintain their premises.

Hotels and resorts in Georgia sometimes fail to act upon reports received about unsafe conditions until it is too late, which can result in a hotel guest being seriously injured or killed. A party who is injured may be able to bring a successful Georgia premises liability claim or lawsuit, or a wrongful death lawsuit when the resulting injuries are fatal. The plaintiff in a premises liability lawsuit may be entitled to recover damages for injuries that could have been foreseen and were caused by the defendant's (in this case, the W Hotel's) negligent maintenance of their property.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an accident at a hotel or resort, we invite you to contact our office right away for a free consultation so that we can discuss your accident and evaluate your case. At Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, our Georgia premises liability attorneys, have been representing people who are injured by dangerous conditions on other's property for over 39 years. We are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast including, but not limited to, Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural towns in the state. Call us today for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333), or visit us on the web at www.montlick.com and use our free case evaluation form or 24 hour Live Online Chat. No matter where you are in Georgia or the Southeast, we are just a phone call away and we will even come to you.