Las Vegas is home to some of the largest conventions, trade shows, and live events in the world. Millions of visitors, vendors, and workers come to the city’s hotels and convention centers for events each year. While most of them have positive experiences, injuries at Las Vegas conventions and live events are more common than most people might realize.
If you’ve been injured at a Las Vegas convention or live event, you may be wondering about your legal rights. Many of these injuries are caused by another party’s negligence. In such cases, injury victims may have grounds for a personal injury claim against the negligent party. These claims allow victims to pursue compensation for medical bills, missed work, pain and suffering, and other difficulties caused by their injuries.
At the Cottle Firm, our dedicated Las Vegas hotel and casino injury lawyers help our clients fight for the compensation they deserve for preventable injuries. We’re prepared to evaluate your case and help you take legal action against any negligent parties that contributed to your injury. Give us a call today at 702-722-6111 para discutir su caso en una consulta gratuita.
Common Causes of Injuries at Conventions and Live Events
While most conventions and live events are well-organized, certain hazards can put attendees, exhibitors, and staff at risk of preventable injuries. Here are some of the most common causes of injuries in these environments.
Slip, Trip, and Fall Hazards
Hazards like wet floors, spilled drinks, and recently mopped areas without warning signs can easily lead to slip and fall accidents. Tripping hazards like loose carpeting, uneven flooring, or obstructions in walking paths can result in trip and fall injuries.
Falling Objects
Overhead displays, signage, and lighting rigs are common at trade shows and events. If they are not properly secured, these heavy items can fall and cause severe injuries if someone is struck.
Crowd-Related Incidents
Large crowds bring the potential for pushing, shoving, or trampling if security and crowd management are inadequate. Fights or assaults can also occur and result in injuries if the property has inadequate security measures in place.
Foodborne Illnesses
Catered meals and vendor booths are part of many conventions. When food safety standards are not followed, attendees and staff may be put at risk of food poisoning or other foodborne illnesses.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Las Vegas Convention and Event Injuries?
When an injury occurs at a convention or live event, determining who is legally responsible can be complicated. Unlike a simple slip and fall in a store, these events typically involve multiple entities working together, such as the venue, the organizers, vendors, and contractors. Liability may fall on one party or be shared among several, depending on the circumstances.
Venue Owners and Operators
Bajo Nevada premises liability laws, convention centers, hotels, arenas, and other venues are responsible for maintaining safe premises. These properties must do everything they can to avoid putting guests at risk of preventable injuries. Hazards like wet floors and broken railings should be addressed promptly. If a dangerous condition exists and the venue fails to correct it or warn guests, the venue may be considered liable for resulting injuries.
Event Organizers and Promoters
Organizers oversee the event itself. They are often responsible for managing logistics, scheduling, and safety procedures. Organizers may be considered liable for injuries caused by their negligence, such as poor crowd control or insufficient security measures.
Exhibitors and Vendors
Exhibitors are expected to set up and operate their booths safely. If an attendee is injured in an accident caused by an exhibitor’s negligence, the exhibitor could be considered liable. For example, if a booth is set up poorly and collapses, anyone injured in the incident could potentially name the exhibitor in a personal injury claim.
Food and beverage vendors may also be considered liable if guests suffer harm due to their negligence, such as contracting a foodborne illness due to unsafe serving conditions.
Third-Party Contractors
Many events rely on third-party contractors for certain tasks, such as security companies, staging crews, and cleaning services. If an attendee is injured because of a third-party contractor’s negligence, the contractor could be deemed liable. For example, if an attendee was physically assaulted due to negligence by the security company, that company could be named in a personal injury claim.
Shared Liability
In many cases, more than one party may be at fault. For example, if a venue failed to fix damaged flooring and an exhibitor added additional trip hazards, both may share responsibility for a trip-and-fall injury caused by these hazards.
Negligencia comparativa en Nevada
When evaluating fault in accidents, Nevada follows a system known as negligencia comparativa modificada. This means that if an injured person files a personal injury claim for an injury caused by the negligence of another party, the injured person’s own conduct will also be evaluated for possible negligence.
Both the injured party and the defendant are assigned a percentage of fault. Under Nevada’s 51 percent rule, you can still pursue a claim as long as you are not more than 50 percent responsible for the accident. However, any financial compensation you receive will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
For example, imagine someone trips over loose wiring in a crowded exhibit hall. If the wires were left unsecured, the exhibitor or venue could be at fault. But if the injured person was also distracted by texting at the time of the fall, a portion of the responsibility could be assigned to them. Let’s say the venue agrees to a $50,000 settlement, but the injured party was considered 20% at fault. That $50,000 settlement would be reduced by 20% ($10,000), for a final amount of $40,000.
Steps to Take After an On-Site Injury
The steps you take in the immediate aftermath of an injury can have a lasting impact on both your health and your ability to pursue a personal injury claim later. Acting quickly helps establish a record of what happened and preserves valuable evidence before it is lost or destroyed.
Reportar el incidente
Notify venue staff, event organizers, or security as soon as possible and ask them to file an official incident report. Request a copy of the report to ensure that there is a record of the accident and your injuries. Without this documentation, it may be harder to prove the accident occurred on-site.
Preserve Evidence at the Scene
If you are physically able, take photos or video of the hazard and the surrounding area before anything is cleaned up or removed. Capture details like spilled liquids, loose cords, or broken equipment. Make note of exhibitor or booth numbers, vendor names, or badge details that may identify who was responsible. Gathering witness names and contact information is also important, since their statements can help support your account of the accident.
Request CCTV Footage
Many convention centers, hotels, and arenas use surveillance cameras. However, video recordings are often erased or overwritten quickly. Request CCTV footage as soon as possible, as this can be an extremely valuable piece of evidence in a personal injury claim.
Busque atención médica
Even if your injury feels minor at first, you should seek a doctor right away. Prompt medical care protects your health and creates a clear record connecting your injuries to the event. Emergency room records, urgent care notes, and follow-up treatment all form part of the documentation needed for a potential personal injury claim.
How a Las Vegas Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help
Taking legal action after an injury at a convention or live event can be complicated. An experienced Las Vegas personal injury lawyer can guide you through the process, protecting your rights and helping you fight for the financial compensation you deserve.
Investigating Liability
A lawyer can determine who may be legally responsible for the accident. This may include reviewing contracts, event layouts, safety protocols, and the roles of venue operators, organizers, vendors, or contractors. They will also review all of the facts of the case to determine which of these parties may have contributed to the accident.
Preserving and Obtaining Evidence
Attorneys know how to preserve critical evidence before it disappears. This includes requesting CCTV footage, obtaining incident reports, interviewing witnesses, and collecting documentation from exhibitors or vendors. The more evidence a lawyer can gather, the stronger your legal claim will be.
Handling Communications
Dealing directly with insurance companies, event organizers, properties, or vendors can be overwhelming. A lawyer can handle these communications on your behalf and prevent missteps that could reduce your compensation or put your claim in jeopardy.
Valuing Your Claim
Personal injury attorneys calculate damages by accounting for medical bills, lost wages, ongoing treatment costs, and non-economic factors such as pain and suffering. Once they arrive at an amount that fully reflects the extent of your damages, they can negotiate for this amount with the negligent party’s insurer.
Negotiating or Litigating
Most personal injury claims end in settlements, rather than long court battles. Your lawyer will work to negotiate a fair settlement amount that accounts for all of your economic and non-economic damages. However, if the defendant refuses to make a fair settlement offer, your lawyer can take the case to court and attempt to secure fair compensation through litigation.
Special Considerations for Staff and Exhibitors
Staff and exhibitors at conventions and live events face unique risks that attendees may not encounter. If you’ve been injured while working at a convention or live event in Las Vegas, you also have legal rights. However, the legal process is different from filing a personal injury claim as an attendee.
Workers’ Compensation for Employees
Employees of vendors, exhibitors, or the venue itself are typically covered under Nevada workers’ compensation. This coverage typically includes medical treatment, rehabilitation, and a portion of lost wages. However, workers’ compensation generally does not cover non-economic damages like pain and suffering.
Third-Party Liability
Even when workers’ compensation applies, staff and exhibitors may still have claims against third parties. For example, an injured worker may file a separate personal injury claim against a negligent third party for failing to maintain safe conditions, such as an independent contractor, another exhibitor, or the venue itself.
Discuss Your Case With Our Las Vegas Hotel and Casino Injury Lawyers
If you were injured at a convention, trade show, or live event in Las Vegas, you have legal rights. If your injury was caused by negligence, you could have grounds for a personal injury claim against the venue, a vendor, exhibitor, or another party that contributed to your injuries. Call the experienced Abogados de lesiones personales en Las Vegas of the Cottle Firm today at 702-722-6111 to discuss your legal options in a free consultation.
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