Las Vegas is home to thousands of conferences, events, and festivals. From music festivals to fan expos to collectors’ meets, all kinds of parties, performances, and activities happen here year-round, and many of them pose the potential for serious injuries.
You may be able to sue the event organizers or the property where the event took place, but it all depends on how the accident happened. In some cases, you may only have a case against the individual who injured you, though negligent security and similar considerations might shift at least some responsibility back to the property owner. In any case, always get help from a lawyer when putting your case together.
For your free case review, call the Las Vegas personal injury attorneys at Mitchell Rogers Injury Law right away at (702) 702-2622.
What Do You Have to Prove to Sue for Injuries at an Event or Festival?
In most accident cases, you sue for “negligence.” This means showing that someone did something by mistake or through carelessness to cause your injury. You do not need to prove that someone injured you intentionally, though you can also sue for assault and battery, sexual assault, and other intentional acts.
When you sue for negligence, you have to show that your injuries only happened because the defendant breached a legal duty they owed you. This has four elements:
- The defendant owed you a legal duty. This is often brought on by the relationship between you and the defendant, whether that be because they owned/operated the property or because they were the company hosting the event or festival.
- The defendant breached the duty. This means showing they did something wrong that allowed the accident to happen.
- Their breach actually caused your injuries; i.e., the accident would not have happened without that oversight or mistake.
- You suffered damages and injuries they can compensate you for.
Who Do You Sue for Injuries at a Festival/Event in Las Vegas?
Who you sue will depend a lot on the specific facts of your case and how the accident happened. However, the following are some potential parties who could be included in your lawsuit.
Keep in mind that some suits involve multiple parties. Sometimes the best strategy is for our Las Vegas personal injury lawyers to sue them all, and the court can figure out who owes what share of the total damages.
Individuals
You can always sue individuals for injuries they cause you. This could include suing someone for assaulting or sexually assaulting you, or it could mean suing a driver for hitting you with their car.
Property Owners
Sometimes accidents are caused by dangerous conditions on the property, such as missing handrails, collapsing decks/balconies, or malfunctioning fire alarms or fire escapes. In many cases where the hotel, conference center, or casino that hosted the event is responsible, you can sue those property owners directly.
Event Operator
Other accidents are caused not by the conditions that were present at the event site, but because of things the event operators did. For example, injuries during a crowd surge at a concert could be because the operators overloaded the event, failed to provide adequate security, etc. Similar concerns are often present for heat stroke at festivals where water and shade were not adequate.
Sometimes the contracts between property owners and event operators will dictate who takes responsibility for certain things. There may also be situations where you can sue the event operators for things like inadequate security when you are assaulted by someone who should have been kicked out or shot by someone who should not have been permitted to enter with a weapon.
Transportation Companies
Depending on how you are getting around Las Vegas or getting to and from the event, it might be the transportation companies that are at fault for an accident. Claims against Uber/Lyft drivers are often filed directly against the driver and covered by the rideshare companies’ insurance. Claims against local transit, the Loop, and shuttles provided by hotels, resorts, and events might have special rules about who to sue.
Suppliers and Vendors
Sometimes accidents are not caused by either the property owner or the event operator, but by vendors and suppliers they used. For example, being injured in a collapsing tent or because of a stage collapse could be the fault of whichever supplier was used to set up the tent or stage.
FAQs for Suing for Injuries at an Event, Conference, Concert, or Festival in Las Vegas
Does Las Vegas Bear Some Responsibility?
Some of the facilities and services open to the public and event guests are actually provided by the Las Vegas government itself through the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), which is a quasi-governmental agency. If the LVCVA was responsible for your injuries, we can include them in your lawsuit.
Can I Sue Bars and Casinos for Drunk Patrons?
If your injuries were caused by a patron who was overserved at a bar, casino, or other event, we may not be able to hold the establishment responsible. Nevada has no “dram shop” liability that holds these entities responsible for injuries they caused by overserving drunk patrons.
However, there are some exceptions, and other grounds for liability might exist, so always check with a lawyer.
What Does Insurance Cover in an Accident?
Most businesses have insurance to cover their operators. Events are often put on by businesses, and they are usually required to have insurance in place to cover injuries. If there is insurance to cover your injuries, it should cover any damages you suffer, including these major areas of damages:
- Medical bills
- Lost earnings
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering.
Should I Report My Accident to the Police?
Immediately after you get injured, you should call 911 and seek treatment at a hospital. When you call 911, they will usually send police to respond alongside an ambulance. That essentially means it will get reported to the police, whether you report it on purpose or not.
You should always report car accidents to the police, and always report if you were the victim of assault or sexual assault, but you do not necessarily need to report slip and falls or other property injuries to the police.
Call Our Las Vegas Personal Injury Lawyers Today
For held with your injury case, call the Enterprise, NV personal injury lawyers at Mitchell Rogers Injury Law at (702) 702-2622.