Victims of the Las Vegas shooting have filed lawsuits over the attack. The mass shooting, which occurred in October 2017, left 58 dead and over 500 more people wounded. Five lawsuits were filed before Thanksgiving against MGM Resorts International.
MGM owns Mandalay Bay Hotel, where the shooter was found. The lawsuits also name Live National Entertainment, the promoter of the Route 91 Harvest festival.
Lawsuits allege that the businesses contributed to the attacks. Victims and those suffering post-traumatic stress, are included in the lawsuits. The lawsuits have been filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The lawsuits allege that the hotel, staff, venue and festival all engaged in negligent acts, which contributed to the suffering of victims.
“Under the doctrine of premises liability, organizers and property owners are responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of attendees. This includes events such as the tragic Route 91 Harvest Concert in Las Vegas. When negligent security, improper maintenance, inadequate staffing, etc. causes an injury or death, these individuals and entities can be held accountable for the medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages their actions create,” states LV Accident.
The lawsuit claims that the hotel’s staff didn’t monitor the shooter, Mr. Paddock, properly. The lawsuit alleges that proper monitoring may have allowed for a faster response. Mr. Paddock’s room was filled with over two dozen weapons as well as thousands of rounds of ammunition. The lawsuit claims proper monitoring would have caught Mr. Paddock stocking his room with weapons.
MGM Resorts claims that “these kinds of lawsuits are not unexpected and we intend to defend ourselves against them.”
Live Nation has failed to comment on the matter. The lawsuit claims that Live Nation, along with MGM, hired festival workers that were not properly prepared for the shooting. The lawsuit claims that exits were not clearly marked and that there should have been more exits on the premises.
Mr. Paddock’s estate has been named in the lawsuit and the business that was responsible for the event’s security.
Reports from mid-November note lawyers from Las Vegas, Texas and Illinois interviewing victims in an attempt to file hundreds of lawsuits. The large spectrum of victims has led to several large law firms seeking to represent victims and benefit from the massacre.
One law firm has affirmed that they interviewed 50 victims with plans to interview hundreds more. The law firm claims that they have reached out to other law firms to deal with the massive amounts of claims.
Victims claim that they’ve been haunted by the tragic events. Elisha Seng, a native of Illinois, attended the concert, but was not injured in the shooting. Seng is named in the lawsuit, claiming that the images of a young woman clutching her throat and covered in blood before falling to the ground continues to haunt her.
Seng claims that recently, heavy rain was mistaken for gunshots. She claims that she has nightmares and difficulty sleeping following the attacks.
Lawsuits question why Paddock was a VIP guest, given access to a service elevator and why there were no security cameras on the floor he stayed in. The lawsuit also questions why the hotel lacked gunshot detection devices.
