by tfarino
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Tourism is a large part of the economy in Nevada. For the most part, visitors have a positive experience, but accidents are possible at any time. You are particularly vulnerable when injured on vacation. You don’t have access to familiar medical facilities, and your out-of-state insurance might not cover much. On top of everything, the business where your injury happened may bet on you going home and failing to figure out how to file a long-distance personal injury claim. You could overcome the difficulty of dealing with a claim from out of state with local legal representation. Personal injury attorneys in Las Vegas Nevada, are prepared to act on your behalf locally to hold a negligent party responsible for your financial damages.
Sources of Vacation Accidents and Injury
Busy tourist destinations present many hazards that can, unfortunately, hurt people through no fault of their own. A personal injury lawyer in Las Vegas could represent people hurt by:
- Poor security – Hotel room intrusions, abusive security guards, or overcapacity at a club or theater can leave guests vulnerable to assault and battery crimes.
- Elevator or escalator defects or malfunctions – Tripping or getting clothing caught in equipment can produce minor or major injuries.
- Spa and pool injuries – Slippery floors, misuse of disinfection chemicals, or scalding water are common sources of injury.
- Slip and falls – Even outside of pool and spa areas, a freshly mopped floor or electrical cord across the floor can put people on the ground hard.
- Bad or broken lighting – Guests struggling through darkness can trip or fall.
- Taxi, shuttle, or limousine injuries – These vehicles can leave people hurt from traffic accidents to broken doors or steps.
- Pedestrian accidents – Visitors can be hit by vehicles, fall on uneven sidewalks, and land in front of vehicles.
Overall, a hotel operator or other business needs to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe manner and post warnings about hazards. Failure to meet these legal standards may enable a Vegas injury attorney to collect compensation for your injuries.
Immediate Steps After Getting Hurt on Vacation
When the worst happens on vacation, you’ll be doubly upset. The pain is, of course, distressing, but you fear that your vacation is ruined. You will serve your best interests by assuming you might have a personal injury claim instead of trying to “play through the pain” and make the best of things.
Step 1: Get Medical Care
This is a critical action to take not only for your health’s sake but also for building your personal injury case. Getting medical evaluation and treatment in Las Vegas establishes that you got hurt at your vacation destination. If you wait to see a health care provider until you get home, the party potentially responsible for paying your claim can argue that you were not hurt on vacation.
Step 2: Collect Photographic Evidence
You or your traveling companion should take pictures of the accident scene. Evidence of a misaligned elevator or cord across a floor can be readily captured with a camera. Take close-up pictures and pictures with a wider view of the area where the accident happened.
Step 3: Collect Witness Contact Information
Other guests and employees may have seen what happened to you, and their statements could provide supporting evidence about the truth of your claim of injury and negligence. You or your companion may ask witnesses to give their name, phone number, and short statement. Your personal injury lawyer in Las Vegas can follow up with them later and gather more details. You should expect employees to be reluctant to provide information, but you may still be able to get their names.
Step 4: File an Incident or Accident Report
A formal incident report to the facility creates documentation about the time and place of the accident. The manager where the accident occurred should have a process for collecting information about accidents and injuries on the premises. Ask the manager to take a written statement from you and provide you with a copy of the report. While you do this, ask for the manager’s name. If your accident involved a motor vehicle, call the police to report a traffic accident.
Stick to the basic facts as you report the accident. Tell the manager briefly the location of the accident and that you are hurt. Offering too many details or speculating might give the business ammunition to shift blame onto your actions.
If possible, you or your associate should write a letter to the business and request the preservation of evidence, specifically surveillance images. This document is formally called a spoilation of evidence letter. It is meant to stop the organization from destroying evidence before you have a chance to file an insurance claim or lawsuit.
At the time of the accident, the manager might assure you that the business will make things right by you. Even if the person speaking to you is well-meaning, you should not place much faith in any verbal pledges regarding the accident.
A casino or hotel could have a risk management department responding to your accident. This representative might take the report and tell you that the business will handle the problem, but nothing comes of it. The business knows that you will go home and have trouble following up with an insurance claim.
Do not accept any offers from management to settle the matter without legal advice.
Next Steps When You Get Home
1. Look Into Hiring a Vegas Injury Attorney
A local personal injury lawyer will be much better able to represent your case after returning home. Your accident claim will probably need to be handled according to Nevada law.
Additionally, a local Nevada lawyer is already familiar with vacation accidents and navigating liability insurance claims at casinos, hotels, and other entertainment venues. A local law office is also better positioned to investigate the accident. A law firm in your home state would be at a disadvantage managing a long-distance investigation. A local attorney can more easily follow up with witnesses and track down the insurance provider for the business.
2. Obtain Follow-Up Medical Care
Once you get home, you should continue your treatment. Without follow-up care, the negligent party’s insurer might argue that the matter was minor and of little consequence. You may also want a second opinion about your condition. A hasty evaluation at an unfamiliar emergency department may not fully capture the results of the accident. Some symptoms take time to emerge, or your original treatment plan may need to be revised. Your ongoing medical records will assist with documenting your medical expenses.
Personal Injury Lawyers in Las Vegas
Locals and visitors have trusted Moss Berg Injury Lawyers with their personal injury claims for years. Our firm focuses only on personal injury, and we have a strong record of succeeding in negotiations with insurers and litigating cases in court. If you were hurt on vacation in Nevada, contact us for a free evaluation.