The financial website MoneyWise reported on the 8th that Josmeli Rojas, a Massachusetts woman, traveled to the Dominican Republic with a group of 12 family members and friends. A fire broke out at their vacation rental, claiming the lives of her 5-year-old son, mother, cousin, and aunt. The family has filed a lawsuit against Expedia and the online vacation rental platform Vrbo, alleging that the rental property lacked smoke detectors or alarms, thereby failing to meet the safety requirements mandated by the online platforms.
The report notes that consumers cannot assume that booking accommodations through online travel platforms automatically guarantees safety or compensation for injuries or fatalities. The Scarlett Law Group, a firm specializing in personal injury and auto accident litigation, described this as a “dangerous misconception.”
In an interview with local station WBZ-TV, Rojas—a resident of Lawrence, Massachusetts—stated that her family has been shattered and will never be the same again.
The fire occurred on June 13 while the group was vacationing in the Dominican Republic, resulting in four deaths; other survivors were hospitalized for injuries, including burns.
Albert Farrah, the attorney representing the family, stated that an investigation identified an electrical fault as the cause of the fire. He noted that the absence of smoke detectors or alarms in the rental property constituted a clear violation of Vrbo’s safety requirements. Farrah pointed out: “At least 50%—and likely far more—of the accommodations listed on the Vrbo platform lack smoke detectors, a fact of which Vrbo is well aware.”
In a statement, a Vrbo spokesperson acknowledged receipt of the lawsuit, saying, “This was a tragic accident, and we extend our condolences and sympathies to the affected family.”
The Scarlett Law Group noted that tech companies operating online travel platforms strive to avoid being classified as real estate agents or hoteliers, emphasizing instead that their platforms serve merely as “bulletin boards” connecting buyers and sellers; consequently, consumers booking online may have already agreed to waive the platform’s liability for incidents occurring within the rental properties.