Casino accidents are a type of premises liability claim. Every year in the United States millions of people and billions of dollars go through the legalized gambling industry.
While visiting a casino could be a great escape from every day life, every year thousands of people are injured at casinos. This means that you were injured on the property of someone else because of that property owner’s negligence.
Types and Causes of Casino Accidents
Casino accidents are caused by either unsafe conditions or unsafe actions from casino employees. Examples of unsafe conditions include poorly maintained facilities, inadequate maintenance of equipment, creation of an unsafe environment, and failure to properly train employees.
Unsafe actions by an employee can be failure to properly clean up a mess, failure to inform customers about known dangers, not paying attention to the task at hand, and failing to obey safety rules.
Common types of casino accidents include the following:
- Slip and falls from food or beverage spills
- Tripping on cords or uneven floor surfaces
- Elevator accidents
- Escalator accidents
- Merchandise falling on a customer
- Assaults or robberies
- Injury from poorly maintained equipment
- Fall as a result of improper lighting
Not all injuries and casino accidents merit a personal injury claim or compensation.
If the accident was caused by your own failure to pay attention, you most likely are not going to have a successful claim. However many casino accidents are the direct result of casino negligence.
If you have been injured in a casino accident you need to contact a personal injury attorney lawyer as soon as possible.
Types of Injuries in Casino Accidents
Many casinos are more than just a place to gamble. They often are part restaurant, part hotel, and part nightclub as well. Having all of these activities under one roof may be convenient, but it also increases the chances of getting hurt while on the casino property. Some example of injuries from casino accidents includes:
- Neck and back injuries
- Lacerations
- Bruising
- Torn and strained tendons and ligaments
- Fractured or displaced bones
- Concussions
- Spinal cord injuries
- Sprained and strained muscles
- Food poisoning
No matter where you are hurt, your first priority should always be your health. If you need emergency medical care, make sure an ambulance is contacted. If you do not need emergency care, you should still have any injuries evaluated within a reasonable time.
This prevents something simple from getting worse, and it allows you to create a record of your injuries and the treatment prescribed. If you are not in need of urgent care, you can wait a day or two before visiting a doctor. But, the longer you wait the worse it could be for your health and for your personal injury case.
Getting evaluated is only part of the process. You also need to follow the instructions from your medical provider and follow up as recommended.
Issues in Casino Accident Claims
Even though casinos are known for having cameras everywhere, sometimes getting justice in casino accidents is challenging. Some of the common issues include:
- Proving liability
- Handling a long distance case
- Jurisdiction
Just because you know the casino was at fault for your accident doesn’t mean you will be able to collect damages for your injuries.
You still have to have enough evidence to prove that the casino was at fault for the accident. Even if you never have to set foot in a courtroom, part of a successful claim involves laying out the proof to an insurance adjustor.
If you don’t know what to ask for it can be tough to get a hold of things that you will need for your case form the casino. This could include everything from surveillance camera footage to internal reports and emails.
You will have to show that the casino knew or should have known about the danger that caused your injury. Courts are hesitant to allow damages in cases where an accident was the result of an unforeseeable set of circumstances.
When you are at a casino, you re often on vacation. This can mean figuring out how to continue fighting a claim when you are hundreds or thousands of miles away back home. You will need a local lawyer who is familiar with casino accidents to handle the case for you.
While private companies own most casinos, Indian tribes operate some casinos. Every state will have its own procedure for making claims against an Indian owned and operated casino. These cases often require special processes be followed before claims are paid out.
Handling casino accidents can be difficult. But, you don’t have to figure the process out by yourself.
We can help you find a personal injury lawyer with a successful track record of wining casino accident claims.
Don’t put off getting any help any longer. Call us today and let us connect you with the right lawyer fro you.
