If you just slipped and fell at a hotel and need to report it, here’s the bottom line:
- Stick to facts, not blame: where you fell, what the floor was like, and how you feel.
- Ask for an incident report right away and get the report number and the manager’s name.
- Request that security video be preserved for the time and area of your fall.
- Avoid phrases like “I’m fine,” “It was my fault,” or “I wasn’t paying attention.” These can be used later to argue you were mostly at fault.
This page focuses only on what to say and not say to the hotel. For a step-by-step guide to evidence, liability, and next legal steps after a Florida hotel slip and fall, see our full guide to hotel slip and falls.
Your Words to the Hotel Matter More Than You Might Think
In Florida, when a guest slips on something temporary at a hotel—water, a spilled drink, tracked-in rain—the law usually requires proof that the hotel had actual or constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition and failed to fix it or warn guests. That requirement is set forth in Florida Statute 768.0755, which governs “transitory foreign substances” in business establishments.
Florida also follows modified comparative fault. In most negligence cases, if you are found more than 50% at fault for your own injuries, you cannot recover damages at all.Â
Those two rules make your hotel conversations important because:
- The incident report the hotel creates can become a “business record” that is treated as evidence if it meets the conditions under the business-records exception to the hearsay rule. (law.cornell.edu)
- Casual self-blame (“I wasn’t paying attention,” “my fault,” “I’m just clumsy”) can be used later to argue that you were mostly responsible.
You do not need legal jargon at the front desk. You do need to be clear, factual, and careful.
What should I say when I report a hotel slip and fall?
When you reach the front desk or hotel security, keep it short, factual, and specific to the hotel.
A short script you can use
You can plug in your own details:
I slipped and fell in [exact hotel location] at about [time].
The floor was [wet / slippery / puddled / debris] near [source: pool gate, ice machine, leak, housekeeping cart, etc.].
I’m having [pain / dizziness / trouble walking, etc.].
Please create an incident report now and give me the report number.
Who is the manager on duty, and who will be documenting this?
Also, please preserve any security camera footage from [time window] covering [area] where I fell.
This script accomplishes the following:
- Gives the who / what / where / when without guessing about fault.
- Pushes the hotel to create an incident report instead of just apologizing.
- Gets you a report number and manager name you can refer back to.
- Places the hotel on notice that video from that area and time must be preserved.
Most hotels operate security cameras in lobbies, corridors, pool areas, and entrances, but footage is typically kept for only 30–90 days before it’s overwritten on a rolling basis, sometimes sooner if storage is limited (legalclarity.org). Requesting preservation immediately is a simple way to protect crucial evidence.
What Not to Say (and What to Say Instead)
In the moment, most people either minimize their pain or blame themselves. In a system where being more than 50% at fault can prevent you from recovering anything in most negligence cases, those throwaway lines can matter.Â
Phrases to avoid after a hotel slip and fall
Try not to say:
- “I’m fine” or “It’s nothing.”
- “This was my fault.”
- “I wasn’t paying attention.”
- “I’m just clumsy.”
- “I should’ve watched where I was going.”
- “There was nothing there,” if you slipped on a condition you saw or felt.
- “I don’t need a report.”
- “Let’s not make this a big deal.”
Better language that protects you without exaggerating
These alternatives are more accurate and safer:
- “I don’t know yet how bad it is. I need this documented.”
- “I can tell you exactly where and how I fell.”
- “I need an incident report and the report number.”
- “Please note in the report that I’m going to get checked by a doctor.”
- “I’m not making any decisions about fault right now. I just want an accurate record.”
You are not being difficult. You are treating a hotel safety incident as requiring a clear, documented record.
What details should be included in the hotel incident report?
The incident report is the hotel’s official record of your slip and fall. If it’s made in the regular course of business and close in time to the event, it can later be treated as evidence under the business-records rule. You want that “memory” to be specific and accurate, not vague.
Key facts to make sure the report includes
Ask the hotel to note:
- Date and time of the incident.
- Exact location in the hotel (e.g., “north side of pool deck near gate,” “hallway by room 1012,” not just “pool” or “lobby”).
- Condition of the floor: wet, puddled, slick, greasy, sticky, debris, uneven, loose mat, etc., and source if you saw one (pool water, melting ice, leak, spilled drink, dripping cart).
- Your symptoms at the time: where you hurt, dizziness, trouble walking, numbness, etc.
- Names/titles of hotel staff who responded or took the report, plus any witness names and contact info.
Whether EMS or medical help was offered, and whether you accepted or declined.
How to check the report
If possible, say:
Can I review what you wrote to make sure the facts are correct?
Calmly fix anything important:
Please add that the floor was wet from the pool gate.
Please note I landed on my left hip and lower back.
If they won’t show you the report, at least get:
- The incident report number
- The name and title of the person who wrote it
- The name of the manager on duty
Those details make it much easier for you or your attorney to request the report later.
How do I request that the hotel preserve security camera footage?
Hotel security video can be crucial. It can show how long the hazard was present, whether staff walked past it, whether mats or warning signs were in place, and what you encountered before you fell.
In Florida, that kind of proof can help show whether the hotel had actual or constructive knowledge of a temporary hazard, as required under Florida Statute 768.0755.
Many hotels only keep footage for a short rolling period (often around 30–90 days, sometimes less) before it’s overwritten. Once that happens, it’s usually gone.
What to say at the hotel
When you report the fall, add:
“I believe your cameras cover this area. Please preserve any video from [time] to [time] that shows [location] where I slipped and fell.
Who should I contact to confirm that the footage has been preserved?”
Write down:
- The name and title of the person you spoke with,
- The date and time you made the request.
Quick follow-up for security footage
If you can, send a short email the same day to the hotel or corporate guest relations that:
- Restates the date, time, and exact location of your fall,
- Confirms that you reported it,
- Formally asks them to preserve security video for the relevant time and camera views.
That email becomes a second, time-stamped record that you asked for the footage while it was still realistically available.
How do I handle hotel pressure, downplaying, or “just sign this” moments?
After a slip and fall, some hotels might try to smooth things over, rush you, or push paperwork in front of you. You don’t have to argue or get confrontational. Your job is to stay calm, be clear about what you need, and avoid agreeing to anything that downplays what happened or signs away your rights.
“We’ll clean it up; no need for a report.”
Please do clean it so no one else gets hurt, but I also need an incident report and a report number before I leave.
This keeps safety and documentation separate.
“Just email us if you still feel bad tomorrow.”
I’d like this documented now while the details are fresh. Please create a report and give me the report number.
Same-day documentation is harder for insurers to dismiss than a late report.
Being handed a form to sign
You don’t have to sign anything you don’t understand, especially if you’re in pain or medicated
I’m not comfortable signing anything right now. Please document the incident. I’m fine reviewing paperwork later.
If the form looks like a release, waiver, or settlement—or mentions releasing the hotel from responsibility—do not sign it without legal advice.
Do I have to talk to insurance adjusters after the report?
After a hotel slip and fall, you may get calls or emails from the hotel’s “risk management” person or its insurance adjuster. You can be polite and still protect yourself.
A solid response is:
I’m still getting medical care and figuring out the full extent of my injuries. I can confirm the basic details like date and location, but I’m not comfortable giving a recorded statement or discussing fault right now.
Because fault percentages can determine whether you recover anything under Florida’s modified comparative fault system, it’s wise to speak with a lawyer before giving a detailed statement or agreeing to a recorded interview.Â
When should I call a Florida hotel injury lawyer?
You don’t have to wait for a denial to get help. It’s smart to talk with a lawyer early if:
- You have ongoing pain, trouble walking, or head/neck/back/hip symptoms.
- The hotel won’t do an incident report or won’t give you the report number or manager’s name.
- You know there’s security camera footage, and you’re worried it’ll be overwritten.
- The hotel or its insurer wants a recorded statement, pushes forms in front of you, or offers a quick settlement.
- You live out of state and are leaving Florida soon.
A firm that regularly handles Florida hotel slip and fall cases, like Stabinski Law, can move fast to:
- Send a preservation letter for video and records,
- Keep you from making statements that get twisted,
- Build out the evidence on notice and hotel practices,
- Frame your incident report and medical records under Florida premises rules.
At the hotel, your job is simple: tell the truth clearly, don’t blame yourself, insist on an incident report with a report number, and ask them to preserve video. From there, Stabinski can help you figure out what should happen next.
