New Vegas Suits To Represent More Than 450 Shooting Victims

Attorneys who filed one of the first lawsuits after the Oct. 1 mass shooting that killed 58 concert-goers and left hundreds injured on the Las Vegas Strip are filing four more cases on behalf of more than 450 victims. 

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File) – Vegas Festival Grounds
Debris litters a festival grounds across the street from the Mandalay Bay resort and casino in Las Vegas.

This time they’re suing in Los Angeles against companies including Mandalay Bay resort and MGM Resorts International.

Houston-based lawyer Chad Pinkerton said Monday many of the plaintiffs live in California, and they’re seeking a court and jury that won’t be swayed by the size and influence of a casino giant that’s an active political contributor and the largest employer in Nevada.
MGM Resorts says it won’t litigate shooting lawsuits in the media. In statements, the company has blamed the massacre on the gunman, Stephen Paddock.

Live Nation in a statement expressed sorrow for “countless people forever impacted by this senseless act of violence” and said it was cooperating with an active FBI investigation. It declined to comment on the lawsuits, however.

Documents submitted Nov. 20 also seek compensation from Paddock’s estate. 

Houston-based attorney Chad Pinkerton, who filed the cases in Los Angeles with fellow lawyer Mo Aziz, said he believes he can show the tragedy could have been avoided if hotel and corporate officials followed hotel weapon possession policies already in place and implemented recent safety recommendations.

“We know in this day and age that evil does happen, and we have to protect against that,” he said according to the Associated Press. “This was the largest security failure in U.S. history.”

The news of these filings comes just days after lawsuits were filed on behalf of 14 attendees and naming the hotel, Live Nation and the makers of a bump stock gun accessory.

And the 14 civil complaints, filed together in Las Vegas state court Nov. 15, follow at least three others filed since Stephen Paddock opened fire Oct. 1 from his hotel at the Mandalay Bay hotel-casino during Jason Aldean’s set at the country festival. The suit seeks unspecific compensation for both physical and mental injuries.

The suits say the Las Vegas Village concert grounds on the Strip had poorly marked exits and that the hotel should have had gunfire-location devices to pinpoint the source of gunfire.

The suits say Paddock was able to use VIP status conferred on him as a high-stakes gambler to stockpile more than 20 rifles in his hotel suite, including by using exclusive access to a service elevator over days. The filings argue that a routine check of Paddock’s bags and his room would have revealed his growing arsenal.

MGM said in a conference call that it expects its insurance to cover any judgments that may be found against the company following the lawsuits.