Smart Locks That Malfunction: When Guests Get Trapped or Injured
Smart locks from brands such as Schlage Encode, August, Yale Assure, and Kwikset Halo are now installed in over 70% of U.S. hotels and short-term rentals. Manufacturers market them as more secure and convenient than mechanical keys, but when firmware glitches, batteries die undetected, or motors over-torque, guests are locked in during fires or suffer severed fingers and crushed hands from 800–1,200 lbs of sudden closing force.
Documented failure modes:
Battery depletion with no alert → lock defaults to locked, no manual override works
Firmware bug throws deadbolt while door is ajar → slams on limbs
Cloud/server outage → thumb-turn and keypad become decorative
Motor over-torque in cold weather → bolt jams halfway, door cannot close or open
Disabled low-battery notifications (common on Airbnb host dashboards) → silent failure
Real cases 2022–2025:
Orlando Marriott Courtyard 2024: Guest trapped 47 minutes during active shooter because Schlage locks lost Wi-Fi and defaulted locked → $875,000 settlement.
Austin Airbnb 2023: August Smart Lock Pro severed two fingers of a 4-year-old when it auto-threw the bolt → $1.4 million verdict against host and August Home, Inc.
Las Vegas Hilton Garden Inn 2025 fire: Three guests delayed escape due to property-wide smart lock outage → $4.2 million combined settlement.
Nationwide: 61 lawsuits and 200+ CPSC complaints involving crush/entrapment in 36 months.
Liability is straightforward:
Innkeeper duty + NFPA 101 §7.2.1.5 require unobstructed egress.
Locks exceeding 15 lbf closing force = dangerous instrumentality → strict liability against property owner and often the manufacturer.
Immediate evidence steps for victims:
Photograph lock error code and bolt position
Video the failed manual override
Demand lock event log and hub connectivity records before overwrite (30–90 days typical)
Send spoliation letter the same day
The same “document it before they fix it” rule that defeats spoliation in Lowe’s cutting-station amputation cases (detailed here:Injury Risk from Miscalibrated Cutting-Station Equipment at Lowe’s) applies with equal force to smart-lock failures. Waiting even 24 hours often means the host or hotel has already replaced the lock “repaired” and the log is gone forever.
Insurance carriers (Travelers, Liberty Mutual, Airbnb/Aon) deny with “guest misuse” or “dead battery = act of God,” but downloaded lock logs showing missed alerts or unauthorized bolt throws destroy those defenses. GPS-stamped incident reports and AI-verified timelines further lock in the property’s liability when traditional logs are spoliated.
Until smart-lock standards mandate physical key override, non-disableable audible alerts, and 15 lbf maximum closing force, these devices will keep maiming guests and creating eight-figure verdicts and settlements.
If a smart lock trapped or injured you or a family member, treat it like a Lowe’s saw blade to the hand: photograph, video, and send the spoliation letter the same day. The lock’s internal log is your best witness and it disappears fast
