Fitzgerald, GA – It was an act as innocent as hanging up a pair of overalls. But in a twist reminiscent of opening Pandora’s box with the flick of a finger, this simple action led to a staggering $75,000 flood at a Quality Inn in Fitzgerald, Georgia. Westfield Champion Insurance has thrown the book at Marvin Fish, claiming his innocent wardrobe choice ended up being a very costly mistake.
The setting was serene. A typical hotel room in Room 221 at the Quality Inn property operated by Nandi Hotels LLC. Fish, a registered guest, probably thought little of it when he hung his overalls on what seemed to be an inconspicuous hook. But that “hook” was a sprinkler head. What followed was a deluge akin to a dam break, causing extensive water damage throughout the property.
The Insurer’s Outcry
As the floodgates opened, the hotel’s lifeline came in the form of its insurance. Westfield Champion Insurance, in a lawsuit filed Sunday, claimed it was Marvin Fish’s “blatant negligence” that set off this domino effect. They accuse Fish of breaching a “duty of care,” stating that he “knew or should have known” that hanging overalls on a sprinkler was a recipe for disaster.
