A STUDENT is facing a $690,000 (£540,000) lawsuit after accidentally setting off the hotel sprinklers.
The young man had hung his uniform on the sprinkler head to make sure it didn’t wrinkle, only for the sprinkler system to go off when he removed it.
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He claimed that he put the jacket up so he could attach his ribbons and medals before a junior military drill competition the next day, according to View From The Wing.
However, the sprinklers caused hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage at the Holiday Inn Dumfries in Virginia.
Most of the damage was in ten of the rooms, the hotel kitchen and the dining area after it took 45 minutes for the water to be turned off.
The hotel is now suing the family of the student as well as the school because it was a school trip.
However, the school claims they are not held accountable due to “sovereign immunity”.
The student’s dad is currently claiming for the damage through their house insurance policy, with the student claiming there were “no signs to notify guests not to hang clothing from the sprinkler head and that [he] didn’t know it was dangerous.”
The local fire department has now issued a warning following the incident on how to avoid setting off sprinklers, even inadvertently.
They also explain how even without fire, damage to the heads can result in up to 40 gallons a minute of water being triggered.
How to avoid setting off a sprinkler accidentally
According to the Virginia fire department, there are a number of ways to avoid setting of sprinklers accidentally.
They advise:
- NEVER touch a sprinkler head
- NEVER hang decorations from a sprinkler head
- NEVER hang hats or clothing from a sprinkler head
- NEVER hang planters from a sprinkler head
- NEVER hang any items, no matter the weight or size, from a sprinkler head
Guests can stay safe in hotel rooms by staying between the second and fourth floor, according to experts.
This is due to it being the highest that fire engine ladders can reach without being the first to be targeted on the ground floor.
A door wedge is also advised to keep hotel room doors extra secure.
Sun Online Travel has contacted Holiday Inn for comment.
