Over a million visitors flock to Las Vegas casinos each month, but many leave with more than just empty pockets. Accidents in casinos are far more common than most people realize, leading to injuries that can turn a fun night into a painful ordeal.
In this article, we will highlight the most common accidents in casinos, not only for your safety but also so that you know your legal rights if you ever find yourself in an unfortunate situation.
If you suffered an accident in a casino, our team at High Stakes Injury Law is here to help. Don’t let a casino’s negligence go unchecked—call us today at (702) 444-3228 to discuss your case and take the first step toward justice.
Slip and Fall Accidents
In Las Vegas, slip-and-fall injuries account for over 1 million emergency room visits annually in the U.S. A good chunk of them happen in casinos, where they can frequently occur due to a variety of hazards that can develop in such a lively environment.
Wet floors from spilled drinks, unnoticed food spills, and poorly maintained or uneven carpeting are just a few of the dangers. The dim lighting that often adds to the ambiance of a casino can also obscure these hazards, increasing the likelihood of a fall.
High-Risk Areas for Slip and Fall Accidents
These accidents can occur in virtually any area of a casino:
- Gaming Floors: Patrons often spill their drinks, creating slipping hazards.
- Restaurants and Buffets: Slippery floors from food or drink spills can easily lead to falls.
- Restrooms: Water leaks or wet tiles are frequent culprits in slip and fall cases.
- Entrances and Parking Lots: Uneven surfaces, especially those not adequately maintained or lit, can cause serious falls.
Common Injuries from Slip and Fall Accidents
The injuries resulting from slip and fall accidents can be severe, ranging from minor bruises to significant harm, such as:
- Fractures: Broken bones are common in serious falls.
- Head Injuries: Slipping and striking one’s head can result in concussions or traumatic brain injuries.
- Spinal Injuries: Falls can also lead to spinal cord damage, which might require long-term care.
Challenges in Proving Slip and Fall Claims
- Deflecting Blame: Casinos may attempt to deflect responsibility, arguing that the hazard was "open and obvious" or that the patron was partially at fault due to their own actions, such as intoxication or distraction.
- Lack of Evidence: Casinos may not retain surveillance footage for long periods. Without clear video footage or eyewitness accounts, it can be difficult to prove exactly how and why the accident occurred.
- Difficulty Establishing Negligence: Proving that the casino knew or should have known about the hazard and failed to address it in a timely manner can sometimes present challenges.
Food Poisoning
Casinos are known for their extensive dining options, from high-end restaurants to bustling buffets, but these can sometimes be a source of foodborne illnesses. When raw food items come into contact with cooked or ready-to-eat foods, harmful bacteria can spread, with the most common being e. coli and salmonella.
Foods not kept at the correct temperature can also become breeding grounds for bacteria. This is especially concerning in buffets, where food may sit out for extended periods.
If food handlers do not follow proper hygiene practices, such as washing hands or wearing gloves, the risk of contamination increases even more dramatically.
High-Risk Areas for Food Poisoning
Food poisoning can occur in several areas within a casino:
- Buffets: Due to the self-service nature, food may sit out for too long, increasing the risk of bacterial growth.
- Restaurants: Inadequate cooking or reheating of food can lead to bacterial infections.
- Room Service: Delays in food delivery can result in serving meals at unsafe temperatures.
Symptoms and Consequences of Food Poisoning
The symptoms of food poisoning can range from mild discomfort to severe illness, depending on the type of bacteria involved.
Common symptoms include:
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Stomach Cramps
- Diarrhea
- Fever
In rare cases, food poisoning can lead to dehydration, hospitalization, and long-term health complications.
Challenges in Proving Food Poisoning Claims
- Causation: It is usually extremely difficult to establish a direct link between the food consumed at the casino and your illness. Foodborne illnesses often have a delayed onset, with symptoms appearing hours or even days after the victim consumed the contaminated food.
- Difficulty Finding Evidence: To prove causation, you typically need medical evidence that traces the illness back to a specific pathogen found in the food you consumed at the casino. This could involve stool samples, lab tests, and possibly even tracing other cases of illness back to the same source.
- Showing a Pattern of Negligence: In some situations, proving your food poisoning claim might require showing that others who ate the same food also became ill. This requires identifying and contacting other potential victims, which can be a daunting task without the cooperation of the casino.
Faulty Equipment and Broken Slot Machine Chairs
With thousands of patrons using the same equipment daily, wear and tear are inevitable. If staff do not regularly check and maintain them, they can break unexpectedly, causing patrons to fall and suffer injuries.
Injuries from Faulty Equipment
Injuries from faulty casino equipment can range from minor to severe, depending on the nature of the defect and the accident.
Common injuries include:
- Fractures and Broken Bones: A sudden fall due to a broken chair can easily result in fractures.
- Head Injuries: Falls can lead to concussions or more serious traumatic brain injuries, especially if the head strikes a hard surface.
- Burns and Electric Shocks: Defective appliances in hotel rooms or casino areas can cause burns or electric shocks, leading to severe injuries.
Challenges in Proving Faulty Equipment Claims
- Immediate Repairs by the Casino: Once an accident occurs, casinos may quickly repair or replace the defective equipment, making it difficult to gather evidence of the fault. This is why prompt documentation by the victim is so important.
- Lack of Witnesses: Depending on where the accident occurs, there may be few or no witnesses to corroborate the victim's account.
- Maintenance Records: Securing the casino's maintenance records can be difficult without legal intervention. These records are often key to proving that the casino neglected its duty to inspect and repair faulty equipment.
- Casino Defenses: Casinos might argue that the equipment was in good condition before the accident and that the injury occurred due to the patron’s misuse of the equipment.
Shuttle Bus Injuries
Shuttle buses are common in casinos, providing convenient transportation for guests between hotels, airports, and the casino itself. However, accidents can happen if shuttle bus drivers are distracted, speeding, or otherwise negligent.
Additionally, passengers can slip and fall due to rain, snow, spilled beverages, debris, luggage, or personal items left in the aisles.
Just like any vehicle, shuttle buses require regular maintenance that, if neglected, can lead to accidents. Unfortunately, they often operate under less stringent regulations than larger commercial carriers. Because these crashes occur so frequently, the National Transportation Safety Board investigates them.
Injuries from Shuttle Bus Accidents
Injuries sustained in shuttle bus accidents can be severe, particularly given the confined space and lack of safety features such as seat belts in many buses.
Common injuries include:
- Whiplash and Neck Injuries: Sudden stops or collisions can cause passengers to suffer whiplash or other neck injuries.
- Fractures and Sprains: Slips, trips, and falls on the bus can lead to broken bones, sprains, or other musculoskeletal injuries.
- Head Injuries: Passengers can hit their heads on hard surfaces during a fall or collision, potentially resulting in concussions or more serious traumatic brain injuries.
Challenges in Proving Shuttle Bus Accident Claims
- Gathering Evidence: After an accident, it may be difficult to gather evidence, such as driver logs, maintenance records, and eyewitness accounts, especially if the casino quickly repairs or alters the bus or scene of the accident.
- Establishing Negligence: It may be challenging to prove that the casino was negligent in maintaining the shuttle bus or in employing the driver. The casino may argue that the accident occurred because of an external factor, such as another driver’s actions or an unforeseen mechanical failure.
- Witness Cooperation: Identifying and securing statements from other passengers or witnesses can be challenging, particularly if they are tourists who leave the area soon after the incident.
Burns and Scalds
Casinos, with their diverse amenities and facilities, present several opportunities for accidents involving burns and scalds. In hotel rooms, guests often use irons, coffee makers, and hair dryers. If these appliances are poorly maintained or defective, they can overheat or short-circuit, leading to burns or electric shocks.
Scalding injuries can occur when hot liquids, such as coffee or tea, are spilled. This is especially risky in restaurants or when the casino offers room service, where staff might not properly monitor the temperature of beverages.
Injuries from Burns and Scalds
Burn injuries can vary widely in severity, depending on the cause and the area of the body affected.
Common injuries include:
- First-Degree Burns: These burns affect only the outer layer of the skin, causing redness and pain.
- Second-Degree Burns: These burns penetrate deeper, affecting both the outer and underlying layers of the skin, often leading to blistering, severe pain, and possible scarring.
- Third-Degree Burns: The most severe, these burns destroy both layers of the skin and can damage underlying tissues, requiring extensive medical treatment and possibly leading to permanent disfigurement.
Challenges in Proving Burn and Scald Injury Claims
- Immediate Action by the Casino: After an incident, casinos might quickly address the hazardous condition, such as removing the faulty appliance or cleaning up the spill, making it harder to gather evidence.
- Establishing Fault: It may be difficult to prove that the burn or scald was directly due to the casino’s negligence, especially if the injury occurred in a private area like a hotel room. The casino may argue that the guest was partially or entirely responsible for the accident.
- Severity of Injury: The casino might downplay the severity of the burn or scald, particularly if it is a first-degree burn, making it harder to secure compensation for pain and suffering.
Assaults and Criminal Activity
Casinos attract large crowds and substantial amounts of money, which unfortunately can also attract criminal activity. They are responsible for providing a safe environment for their patrons and staff, so when there is insufficient security personnel or inadequate monitoring, the risk of assaults and other violent incidents increases.
Casinos must also vigilantly monitor who they serve alcohol to. If they continue to serve it to visibly intoxicated patrons, it may contribute to aggressive behavior, leading to fights or assaults. In addition, dimly lit areas, such as parking garages or remote sections of the casino, can become hotspots for criminal activity, including muggings and assaults.
Unfortunately, casinos are frequently complicit in assaults and criminal activity, with some even taking measures to ignore, suppress, and/or punish those who try to expose what is really happening.
Common Types of Criminal Incidents
Various types of criminal activity can occur in a casino setting, including:
- Physical Assaults: These can occur during altercations between patrons or involve security staff and guests.
- Thefts and Robberies: Guests carrying large sums of cash or valuables can become targets for thieves.
- Sexual Assaults: Unfortunately, the combination of alcohol, a party atmosphere, and inadequate security can lead to incidents of sexual assault.
Challenges in Proving Assault and Criminal Activity Claims
- Establishing Causation & Negligence: To hold a casino accountable, you must prove that the crime occurred because the casino failed to provide reasonable security or took actions that directly contributed to the incident. Due to the somewhat subjective nature of what it means to provide “reasonable” security, overcoming these defenses requires a thorough investigation and strong legal representation.
- Gathering Evidence: In many cases, obtaining sufficient evidence can be difficult, particularly if the incident occurred in a poorly monitored area. Surveillance footage, witness statements, and police reports may not always be readily available.
Get Justice Today: Protect Your Rights After a Casino Injury
Casinos are legally obligated to ensure their premises are safe for all guests. When they fail in this duty, they can and should be held accountable.
Wondering about the value of your case? Scott will personally meet with you shortly after you become a client to explain how case values are determined and what steps you can take to maximize your compensation.
Don’t wait–call us now at (702) 444-3228 to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward receiving the compensation you deserve for your recovery.