If you are injured on a trip to Vegas as a tourist, you may be able to file a personal injury claim if another party is liable for the injury. Here are personal injury tips for tourists to help determine what actions to take following an injury.
To consult a Las Vegas injury lawyer for help with a case, call George Bochanis Injury Law Offices at 702-388-2005.
What to Do if You Are Injured on a Trip to Vegas
To succeed with a personal injury case if you’re a tourist, there are critical steps to take. The following are the actions you must take if you sustain an injury and wish to recover compensation in Las Vegas:
Seek Medical Attention
The first step involves seeking attention and care from a medical professional. It’s important to seek care as soon as possible to begin your treatment and medical recovery. It’s also crucial to have medical data proving that an accident caused your injuries. The longer you wait to seek treatment, the harder it could be to link your injuries to the inciting accident.
Consult an Attorney
The next step is to speak with a Las Vegas personal injury attorney in a free consultation to discuss a claim or lawsuit. An attorney could represent you throughout the claims or legal process to help you successfully recover total compensation.
Calculate Damages and Determine Liability
With the help of an attorney, you may identify the liable parties involved and calculate the damages associated with their negligence or malicious intent.
There are multiple types of damages that victims may seek, including:
- Economic damages like medical expenses, lost income, and other financial losses
- Non-economic damages like pain and suffering, trauma, and disfigurement
- Punitive damages if egregious negligence was responsible for your injuries
Obtain and Organize Evidence
To prove your claim, you must collect sufficient evidence supporting your case. This evidence might include medical bills and records, police reports, surveillance footage, receipts, and other documentation.
File a Tourist Accident Claim
The next step for injured tourists would be to file tourist accident claims against liable parties through their insurance companies. However, you may need to proceed with a third-party lawsuit if you are unable to negotiate a settlement through an insurance claim.
Who Is Liable for Tourist Injuries in Vegas?
There are multiple types of injuries that tourists can suffer in Las Vegas, making the liability in each case different.
Casinos
Casinos often present injury risks, including malfunctioning escalators, wet floors, and even faulty electronics in slot machines. Casino owners, staff, and manufacturers are a few of the main parties that could be liable in these types of accidents.
Hotels and Resorts
Is your Las Vegas hotel keeping you safe? If not, you may be able to file a claim or suit against liable hotel owners, security personnel, or others for failing to maintain a safe and secure environment. Many tourists suffer injuries in these spaces, often in the form of slip-and-fall injuries involving loose carpeting, wet floors, and other tripping hazards.
Bars and Nightclubs
Bars and nightclubs are some of the hottest spots for tourists in Vegas, leading to overcrowding, poor security, and other issues that can arise from the liability of property owners, management, or other attendees who exhibit negligence or malicious actions.
Pedestrian Accidents
You might ask: Is Las Vegas doing enough to ensure pedestrian safety on the Strip? While Vegas has taken actions to improve the safety of pedestrians over the years, accidents are still possible on the streets. Large crowds, distractions, poor lighting, reckless vehicles, and alcohol consumption are some of the many factors that can increase the risk of a pedestrian accident.
How to Seek Compensation
If you have a case, you will need to seek compensation through an insurance claim against the liable party. Typically, this entails going through the other party’s insurer and negotiating a settlement.
It’s important to know when to hire a personal injury lawyer to help you succeed with your case. Generally, it’s in your best interest to consult an experienced attorney before proceeding with a case. An attorney could give you guidance on how to proceed and help determine the total amount of compensation you can recover.
Legal Challenges for Injured Tourists
There are key legal challenges to keep in mind regarding these kinds of cases:
Filing Before the Statute of Limitations
Like other types of civil cases, personal injury claims have a statute of limitations that gives claimants a specific amount of time to seek damages. In Las Vegas and across Nevada, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is two years from the date of the incident or discovery of injury. Failure to file before the statute of limitations passes could prevent you from seeking compensation entirely.
Proving Liability
Individuals could struggle to move forward with a case by showing how a party’s improper conduct caused injuries. Insufficient evidence, saying the wrong thing, admitting fault, and other mistakes could be detrimental to your case, which is why it’s essential to hire a personal injury lawyer.
Hire the Right Attorney for Your Case
To seek compensation with a tourist accident claim in Las Vegas, it’s important to speak with a reputable lawyer who’s capable of helping prove negligence and filing a claim in time. At George Bochanis Injury Law Offices, our attorneys are ready to help you determine your options and proceed with a claim or suit. Contact us today for a free consultation.
