A Florida man is suing Airbnb after he says he fell from an exterior staircase that had no handrail at a Palm Beach County vacation rental, breaking his wrist and tearing cartilage in the joint, according to a lawsuit filed September 3, 2026 in Palm Beach County Circuit Court and first reported by BocaNewsNow.
The plaintiff, Ariel Ruiz, had booked a stay at a listing marketed as “Aska Adventure Retreat w/Hot Tub, Creek & Games!” According to the complaint, Ruiz was carrying his bags up the property’s exterior wooden stairs when he slipped. The stairs were wet from rain and, the lawsuit alleges, lacked both handrails and slip-resistant treads — conditions the complaint describes as an unaddressed hazard rather than an unforeseeable accident.
Ruiz’s attorney, James P. Gitkin of the Hollywood-based firm Salpeter Gitkin, LLP, filed the suit on negligence and premises liability grounds. The complaint alleges Airbnb failed to properly vet the property before listing it, did not conduct or require a safety inspection, and never warned guests about the missing handrail or slick stairs. Ruiz is seeking damages in excess of $50,000 and has requested a jury trial. As of the filing, Airbnb had not yet filed a response in court…