Cobb County Man Shot in Room at Motel
A man was shot in a hotel room in Cobb County on Wednesday, July 13, WSB-TV 2 Atlanta reports. The scene of the crime was the Red Roof Inn near the 2200 block of Corporate Plaza. Eyewitnesses report that the man suffered from three gunshot wounds and experienced heavy bleeding. The shooting victim and the perpetrator appear to have had an argument outside the room before the shooting occurred. The shooter is still at large, and police are looking for any information that might help them locate suspects.
Budget Motels Pose Crime Risk for Guests
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the dwelling of the victim is the most common location for a violent crime. Eighteen percent of violent crimes occur in the home or lodging of the victim, including motel and hotel rooms. The next most common place is in open public locations, such as streets and public transportation, which account for about 17% of violent crimes. Budget motels can offer poor security, leading to an environment that is ripe for violent crime, according to Police Magazine. These motels usually do not employ a security staff and may not require identification to rent a room, unlike the standard policies at other lodgings.
Standard Security Measures for Motels and Hotels
Most motels and hotels follow standard security measures to ensure the safety of their guests and staff. These measures include performing identity checks on would-be guests before allowing them access to rooms. Also, it is common for hotels to provide parking passes to guests and to check all cars in their parking lot, so they can report cars that are not registered to a guest. They may also prohibit guests from backing into parking spaces so that their license plates will be visible to any police officer on patrol. This allows police to run a check on the license plates and identify any suspected criminals.
Negligent Security Lawsuits Against Hotels
Last year, a couple staying in a Miami hotel sued when another group of guests broke down the door to their hotel room and beat the victims. The assailants had already been reported to hotel security, the Bahamas Weekly reports. If a hotel or motel fails to put in place standard security measures, they may be liable for negligence in the event of a crime. In Georgia, property owners owe a duty to their guests and customers to keep the premises safe and avoid injuries. If the property owner is aware of a possible threat to his customer’s health, he is responsible for taking reasonable actions to prevent any injury. This means that, if a motel owner is aware that crimes have occurred in the area in the past, he is responsible for taking standard measures (like those described above) to prevent injury to his guests.
Get Expert Help
If you have been injured on someone else’s property, you need immediate legal help. Get in touch with an experienced premises liability attorney at Williams Elleby Howard & Easter in Cobb County to get the compensation you deserve.