Lawsuit Alleges Guest Suffered Brain Injuries After Hotel Door Incident

A federal lawsuit filed June 28 alleges that a guest at the W South Beach hotel in Miami Beach sustained serious head injuries after walking into a glass bathroom door while staying there for a conference. The complaint states the incident occurred on November 8, 2023, after the guest checked into the hotel.

m. to use the bathroom and struck the edge of a floor-to-ceiling glass door that remained open at an approximate 45-degree angle. The suit claims the door's hinges were supposed to close gently on their own but did not due to a defect and inadequate maintenance.

It alleges that cleaning staff entered the room daily and that the hotel knew or reasonably should have known the door was not closing properly.

The complaint says the guest has undergone three brain surgeries and continues to receive treatment. It states the guest has suffered scarring, disfigurement, mental pain, and loss of capacity for enjoyment of life, along with substantial medical expenses.

W Hotel Management, the lead defendant, denied any wrongdoing or liability for the injuries. A spokesperson for the hotel did not respond to a request for comment.

The complaint notes other lawsuits involving glass doors at hotels and other properties. In 2024, a New York City jury awarded $35 million to a woman who suffered permanent brain damage when a glass lobby door shattered. In the same year, a guest sued a Four Points by Sheraton in Orlando after a glass shower door allegedly shattered.

In 2018, a woman sued a Hilton Garden Inn after a glass barn door detached and shattered. The suit seeks damages from W Hotel Management and two affiliated ownership groups, to be determined by a jury. The case was initially filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court before being moved to federal court.