ROUTE 91 SHOOTING IN LAS VEGAS

ATTORNEYS FOR MANDALAY BAY SHOOTING VICTIMS & THEIR FAMILIES

On October 1, 2017, without a warning and without an explanation, Stephen Paddock set out to hurt innocent people. As concertgoers enjoyed what was supposed to be a fun day on the Las Vegas Strip at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, Paddock was holed up in his Mandalay Bay hotel planning the unthinkable. In addition to the many shooting victims, many individuals suffered injuries when members of the crowd fled from the concert venue. Broken bones, sprained ankles, bruises, and muscle sprains occurred as the crowd tried to scramble to safety. Things changed in an instant for those involved, their families, and the first responders who arrived on the scene to help.

It’s incorrect to assume that Route 91 Harvest Festival promoters and MGM Resorts don’t have any responsibility for the events of that fateful day. Even though the actions of the gunman were both criminal and horrific, in today’s day and age, they were sadly not surprising. With terrorism now commonplace in the United States, the companies involved may bear responsibility for their failure to plan for the possibility.

Nevada law allows victims and their families to seek recovery from businesses who fail take reasonable steps to prevent and respond to terrorism and other criminal behavior that might happen on their property and at their events. Our Las Vegas attorneys are currently investigating and accepting cases involving the Mandalay Bay shooting. If you or someone you love was injured or lost, please call our offices for a free, confidential consultation. We can talk to you about your rights.

PROVING THEY DIDN’T DO ENOUGH

To receive compensation, you need to show that the Route 91 Harvest Festival concert promoters or MGM Resorts should have done more to prevent or mitigate the tragedy. It’s a matter of showing that the tragic events were foreseeable to some extent. The term for liability in a situation like this is negligent security. Negligent security applies when a company fails to take sufficient steps to prevent a foreseeable criminal act of a third party.

To succeed in a claim based on negligent security, you must show that the company had a duty to provide a safe environment for their patrons or to the public at large. You must show that they failed to live up to that duty. You must show that their failures led to your or your loved one’s injury or death. Finally, you must show your damages and losses.

WAS IT FORESEEABLE?

The biggest question to answer is whether Route 91 Harvest Festival organizers or MGM Resorts could have foreseen a scenario like this tragedy. With terrorism becoming more and more common in the United States and throughout the world, the tragic events of October 1, 2017 didn’t surprise most Americans. It’s up to the jury to decide whether the businesses are legally responsible for not doing enough to prevent or respond to the tragedy.

WHAT THEY COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY

There are a number of things that MGM Resorts might have done differently:

• Investigated the number of suitcases the perpetrator brought to his room.
• Checked on the perpetrator when the “Do Not Disturb” sign stayed on his door for several days.
• Removed the perpetrator from the facility for placing his own surveillance system in the hotel.
• Hired more security personnel to respond to critical incidents.
• Performed checks on the contents of guest suitcases or used metal detectors.

You may also investigate the changing timelines offered by public officials. It’s still not clear whether law enforcement officials have fully and accurately disclosed how MGM Resorts responded to the tragedy as it unfolded. It’s up a jury to decide if that response was appropriate. Our Las Vegas lawyers are here to support and guide you through legal proceedings while you focus on healing and spending time with loved ones.