The W Austin Hotel recently closed its doors until further notice, a result of continued structural issues, which have led to damage claims and a lawsuit.
The hotel’s officials have been meeting with the building’s architect and developer, Stratus Properties, to try and determine why large glass panels continue to fall from the structure’s 37-story balconies. The glass, luckily, hasn’t led to any fatalities or serious injuries, however, it has damaged vehicles and caused minor abrasions. These injuries led to lawsuit.
As a result, the city evacuated the hotel’s patrons, temporarily closed the building and shut down three lanes of traffic around it for safety reasons.
Details of the lawsuit have yet to be discussed, however, its filing highlights the importance of having business insurance, as many companies can be presented with unexpected situations. Furthermore, in the case of the architecture company, having such insurance in place can be helpful in case legal battles involving professional liability arise.
The hotel’s representatives stated they are “devastated” by the event, and even after talking with numerous experts, they “still do not know why this has happened.”