Family Sues After Man Dies On Escalator Walkway In Las Vegas
A grieving family has filed a lawsuit against a Las Vegas casino after a man was killed on an escalator walkway. According to the lawsuit, there was a hump in the walkway which caused the man to fall backwards. The man, who was using a walker, got his shirt caught in the exit spot and sustained several cuts to the back of his head. The lawsuit says that he was “continually dragged” across the walkway for several minutes. The man’s wife called for help, but help came much too late.
The family blames the defective walkway for their loved one’s death. They are seeking damages from the casino for causing the untimely death of their loved one.
Analyzing the allegations
Walkways of this nature are typically used by those who have difficulty walking. While everyone uses them, the design of the walkway should consider those who need to use them. In this case, a hump in the middle of the walkway may not harm an able-bodied person, but someone with a walker could trip and fall over the hump as was the case in this instance. A known problem with escalators is people getting clothing stuck in them. In this case, both the hump and the exposed inlet of the escalator contributed to the plaintiff’s death. When his wife called out for help, no one came. There were no warnings posted near the walkway.
According to the suit, the man survived the walkway episode but later died of his injuries at the hospital. It is unclear from the article how much damage he sustained from the elevator, but the casino may attempt to lay the blame on the hospital for failing to treat his injuries properly. At this point, we know that the man would not have been injured had it not been for the defective walkway. However, we don’t know how severe his injuries were and whether or not they were survivable.
The plaintiffs are claiming that the defendant should have been aware that the walkway was unsafe for those with assisted walking devices because of the hump. It was the hump that caused the man to fall backward in the first place. Further injury was sustained when his shirt caught at the end.
The defendants will likely claim that the walkway was within operational norms and that the hump should have been obvious to anyone paying attention. However, there were no warnings posted to avoid the walkway for those with assistive technologies such as walkers.
Ultimately, this suit looks poised to go the way of the plaintiffs who have a strong argument that the walkway was defective and that the casino failed to warn visitors about the danger.
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Source:
8newsnow.com/news/local-news/wife-of-man-killed-in-las-vegas-hotel-on-walkway-escalator-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit-against-boyd-gaming/