Erin Andrews files lawsuit against peeping Tom and hotels

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Erin Andrews, the ESPN reporter who was secretly videotaped by a peeping Tom while staying in hotels, filed a lawsuit Thursday against against the man and hotels involved in the case.

The lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court in Chicago, alleges negligence, infliction of emotional distress and invasion of privacy in connection with the incidents, which occurred in several states during 2008.

Michael David Barrett, a Westmont, Ill. resident, pleaded guilty in December in federal court in Los Angeles to charges that included having the intent to "harass or to cause substantial emotional distress" to Andrews. He also admitted that he used the Internet to try to distribute his videos, and tried to sell them to TMZ. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

The lawsuit names Barrett and several hotels, including Marriott International Inc. and Radisson Hotels International Inc. Andrews is seeking total financial damages in excess of $650,000, according to the lawsuit.

Attorneys for Barrett and the hotels were not immediately available Thursday afternoon for comment."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/07/erin-andrews-files-lawsuit.html

[realisticphish]

1. wait

why is she suing the hotels (besides them having more money than one guy)? How is it their fault?

[virgogal]

2. Faulty peepholes I guess.

[blm]

7. how about the fact that they let him book those rooms AFTER they confirmed she'd be there?

Funny how you can manage to post so often in defense of Republicans, but, can't find it in yourself to defend a young woman who has been wronged by corporations she depended on for safe lodging.

[virgogal]

9. How on earth was I supposed to know that? I know what was

in the OP and the link included in the OP. Nothing about booking rooms.

That's all I know about this case.

[Scurrilous]

3. From another article:

<snip>

"Ms. Andrews alleges that Michael David Barrett called the Defendant hotels seeking to determine if Ms. Andrews had made reservations to stay there. Not only did the hotels confirm that Ms. Andrews was intending to register as a guest, but they also released, without Ms. Andrews' consent, her room number. The hotels then provided Michael David Barrett a hotel room immediately adjacent to hers. Mr. Barrett subsequently checked in to the room next to Ms. Andrews, modified the peephole device in Ms. Andrews' hotel room door, and surreptitiously filmed her through the altered peephole while she was getting dressed and without her consent or knowledge.

Michael David Barrett ultimately disseminated these illegally obtained videos of Ms. Andrews over the Internet. For example, when Ms. Andrews stayed at the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN on September 2, 2008, Michael David Barrett was placed in the room directly adjacent to hers, solely at his request. As Ms. Andrews alleges, the actions of the hotel Defendants directly facilitated Mr. Barrett's conduct.

"I've filed this lawsuit to hold accountable those who put my personal safety at risk and who allowed my privacy to be invaded while I was a guest at their hotel," stated Erin Andrews, "as well as for actually stalking me and making my most personal moments public. Although I'll never be able to fully erase the impact that this invasion of privacy has had upon me and my family, I do hope that my experience will cause the hospitality industry to be more vigilant in protecting its guests from the time they reserve a hotel room until they check out."

"In revealing that Erin Andrews would be or was a guest, by placing Michael David Barrett in the room next to hers, and by failing to discover that the peephole of her hotel room door had been altered," stated Bruce A. Broillet, lead counsel for Ms. Andrews, "the Marriott and other hotels named in this lawsuit allowed Barrett to take surreptitious, illegal videos of Ms. Andrews and post them on the Internet. Each Defendant's role in invading Erin's privacy was not only negligent, but reprehensible. Our goal is to hold the defendants accountable to Erin in a court of law and to see that justice is served."

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/erin-andrews-files-civil-suit-for-invasion-of-privacy-and-negligence-2010-07-15?reflink=MW_news_stmp

[Stargazer09]

5. It's worse than I thought

I posted down thread before seeing your post. Thanks for providing more information. The guy is creepy, and the hotels had no right to give out her room numbers like they did.

[realisticphish]

6. oh, wow; that makes sense then

even for a non-celeb, that's a big no-no

[Stargazer09]

4. I can think of a few reasons

1. The hotels were probably responsible for allowing this guy to rent a room that was right next to hers.
2. It's possible the hotel desk clerks or housekeepers let the guy know her room number.
3. The hotels shouldn't have peepholes big enough for somebody to photograph or videotape the occupants of the rooms.

Obviously, I don't know all of the details, but I think those reasons could make the hotels liable in this sort of case.

[Vinnie From Indy]

8. This is a dream case for a plaintiff's attorney

I cannot imagine a jury anywhere that would not be sympathetic to a plaintiff that had her lodging information so freely given for the asking. It would be child's play for a decent attorney to show just how dangerous and reckless the hotel was with this young woman's privacy and safety. This case is a slam dunk and I will wager that the Marriott's lawyers will urge the company to pay the claim immediately to end this. The PR negatives have already exceeded $650,000k for the hotel chain.