When you hear of someone getting injured at a casino, there are certain causes that come to mind. Like drinking too much and getting alcohol poisoning. Or slipping and falling on a wet surface near a pool area. Or even tumbling off a balcony on an upper floor.
But one type of accident you rarely hear about is falling into an elevator shaft.
However, one man sustained critical injuries this past weekend from that precise type of incident. According to authorities, two airmen from nearby Nellis Air Force Base got into a disagreement around 3:30 Saturday morning in the first-floor lobby of the west tower of the Luxor. The two men began to fight, and during the course of the melee one of them was pushed against an elevator door, which inexplicably opened up. The victim then fell 25 feet before hitting the basement level floor. He was rushed to University Medical Center in critical condition.
It’s quite possible that the Luxor, which is owned by MGM Resorts International, will be named as a defendant in an upcoming >personal injury lawsuit filed by the airman. While it’s true that the victim may have contributed to his injuries by fighting, the man could not have reasonably expected the elevator doors to open or anticipated a lengthy fall into the shaft. Such a lawsuit would likely enable the victim to get reimbursed for medical expenses and perhaps receive compensation for emotional distress. There may even be punitive damages if a subsequent investigation shows negligence on the part of the resort.