Thursday, July 16, 2026
San Diego jury awards $15.5M in Hyatt wrongful death case
A San Diego County jury awarded $15.5 million to the family of a woman who died after suffering a medical emergency in a Hyatt hotel room, finding Hyatt Hotels Corp. liable for wrongful death and negligence.
A San Diego County jury awarded $15.5 million to the family of a woman who died after suffering a medical emergency in a Hyatt hotel room, finding Hyatt Hotels Corp. liable for wrongful death and negligence.
Thursday's verdict went to the mother and son of Cindy Gonzalez, who was staying at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine in May 2022. According to the complaint, Gonzalez failed to check out on May 14, but hotel employees extended her reservation to May 15 without contacting her or conducting a welfare check, despite hotel policy.
When Gonzalez's sister later reported her missing, hotel staff and police entered the room and found Gonzalez incapacitated. She was taken to a hospital, where she died the following day.
The plaintiffs were represented by Ivan Puchalt and Bruce A. Broillet of Greene, Broillet & Wheeler LLP.
"This death never should have happened," Broillet said. " If Hyatt had followed its own policies of doing a wellness check on every person on a daily basis to make sure that they're okay... if they had done a welfare check into the room when she failed to check out when she was supposed to, this would have never had happened."
University of Southern California law professor Gregory Keating said the case raised an unusual legal question because California property owners generally owe visitors a duty not to create hazards, but not an affirmative duty to rescue.
Still, he said the jury may have concluded Hyatt assumed such a duty by renewing Gonzalez's reservation without confirming her welfare.
"You don't need a broad ruling to uphold this verdict," Keating wrote in an email. "Before you renew a guest's reservation for another night, you should ask the guest's authorization... Had Hyatt sought the victim's permission, they would have discovered her dire condition and might have saved her life."
Puchalt said he hopes the verdict will prompt hotels to strengthen wellness checks and emergency response procedures.
The case is Jose Ramirez et al. v. Hyatt Corp. et al., No. 37-2023-00056444-CU-PO-CTL (San Diego County Super. Ct., verdict July 9, 2026).
alicia_alvarez@dailyjournal.com
Thursday's verdict went to the mother and son of Cindy Gonzalez, who was staying at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine in May 2022. According to the complaint, Gonzalez failed to check out on May 14, but hotel employees extended her reservation to May 15 without contacting her or conducting a welfare check, despite hotel policy.
When Gonzalez's sister later reported her missing, hotel staff and police entered the room and found Gonzalez incapacitated. She was taken to a hospital, where she died the following day.
The plaintiffs were represented by Ivan Puchalt and Bruce A. Broillet of Greene, Broillet & Wheeler LLP.
"This death never should have happened," Broillet said. " If Hyatt had followed its own policies of doing a wellness check on every person on a daily basis to make sure that they're okay... if they had done a welfare check into the room when she failed to check out when she was supposed to, this would have never had happened."
University of Southern California law professor Gregory Keating said the case raised an unusual legal question because California property owners generally owe visitors a duty not to create hazards, but not an affirmative duty to rescue.
Still, he said the jury may have concluded Hyatt assumed such a duty by renewing Gonzalez's reservation without confirming her welfare.
"You don't need a broad ruling to uphold this verdict," Keating wrote in an email. "Before you renew a guest's reservation for another night, you should ask the guest's authorization... Had Hyatt sought the victim's permission, they would have discovered her dire condition and might have saved her life."
Puchalt said he hopes the verdict will prompt hotels to strengthen wellness checks and emergency response procedures.
The case is Jose Ramirez et al. v. Hyatt Corp. et al., No. 37-2023-00056444-CU-PO-CTL (San Diego County Super. Ct., verdict July 9, 2026).
alicia_alvarez@dailyjournal.com
