Las Vegas Massacre – MGM Resort Settlement Reached

On October 1, 2017, a 64-year-old man from Mesquite, Nevada opened fire on a crowd of people. The shooter, Stephen Paddock, shot into the crowd of the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival (on the Vegas strip). The shooter fired more than 1,100 rounds of ammunition into the crowd from his suite on the Mandalay Bay Hotel’s 32nd floor. The shots killed 58 people and injured 422 others. The panic among the crowd led to further devastation – raising the injury toll to 851. Thousands of others suffered mental and emotional distress related to the tragic incident. Specifically, the fatalities included twenty-two men and thirty-six women from multiple states. The shooting lasted approximately ten minutes from 10:05 pm to 10:10 pm. About one hour later, the shooter was found in the hotel suite with a self-inflicted wound – he was dead, and the motive behind the gruesome attack remained unclear. The shooter carried out the attack with a total of 24 firearms – which he carried into the hotel room in what seemed to be normal luggage. Reports reveal that Paddock arrived at the hotel on a Monday (September 27, 2019); he checked into Room 32-135. Four days later, he also checked in to Room 32-134 – the rooms were directly connected by a door. During these four days, Paddock stockpiled weapons and other equipment necessary to carry out the grizzly attack. In multiple instances, hotel bellhops helped him transport the suitcases carrying the weapons. The incident has been classified as the deadliest mass shooting (committed by just one person) in the country. Shortly after the incident, a lawsuit was filed on behalf on some of the victims claiming that the hotel had been negligent in allowing the shooter to bring the weapons into the building. Just a few months later, MGM Resort (the owner of the Mandalay Bay) filed a lawsuit against the victims with the claim that it had no liability for the incident. Early in 2019, however, MGM Resort officials statds that the company expected to pay up to $800 million to victims and their families. Specifically, the estimated settlement was within the $735 million and $800 million range. On October 3, 2019, just over two years since the massacre, official information surrounding a settlement for the parties affected by the massacre has finally become available. MGM’s insurance providers have agreed to pay $751 million – this amount would resolve many of the cases against the famous hotel chain. As mentioned above, MGM had previously stated that it estimated to have to pay up to $800 million. Since insurance will cover the chunk of the settlement, MGM might only be financially responsible for up to the remaining $49 million – depending on the exact settlement amount (which will be based on the number of claimants, for example).

Recovering Compensation

Many people think that fighting for the right to recover monetary compensation is a way to “fix” the harm that resulted from the incident. However, recovering compensation cannot and will not reverse any of the harm caused by any incident. So, why fight for compensation? Although compensation cannot fill the void left behind by the death of a loved one or alleviate the trauma of experiencing the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, it can help in one way or another. For many victims and surviving family members, recovering compensation represents being able to get back on their feet. Injuries can be expensive, deaths even more so. The cost of treatment, which can often be extended or life-long treatment can quickly add up. Funeral and death expenses can also be very expensive; these expenses increase even more if the body needs to be transported to another location (which was the case considering that many of the victims lived in other states). In general, victims and their families could be compensated for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and punitive damages, for example – although there is no guarantee.

Las Vegas shooting victims: MGM Resorts to pay settlement up to $800M

No One Expects Such Tragedies

Although mass shootings are – unfortunately – very common in our country, no one ever expects to be harmed or to lose a member of their family in a mass shooting. However, it is important that people are aware of their rights if they are every directly affected by a mass-shooting like the one discussed above. If you or a member of your family suffered any sort of harm after a mass shooting or any major incident that takes place on the premises of well-known businesses, like the Mandalay Bay owned by MGM Resorts, it is essential that you and your family explore the possibility of taking legal action. Without a doubt, the actions of one individual – especially an individual who is not associated with an entity in any way – cannot be directly connected to the entity. The shooter was a hotel guest, and he was being treated as such. The hotel staff unknowingly helped the shooter carry luggage full of weapons up to his room on the 32nd floor. Staff couldn’t have possibly known that the luggage was full of the weapons that would be used to bring devastation to thousands of people. Could have the hotel done more? Could have the hotel flagged the suspect for seemingly carrying too much luggage into the room? Could have the hotel suspected something after the shooter booked the second room? What could have the hotel done to prevent the incident? Could hotel staff have been more vigilant? Shortly before the shooting, hotel staff went to check on the door to the 32nd floor that had been tampered with to prevent it from being opened. Someone realized that the door being unable to open was suspicious and went to check out the situation. This is what eventually led to the realization that there was a shooter in the building. Perhaps, if the hotel staff would have been more vigilant, they could have taken action to prevent the massacre from happening. They could have arrested the suspect for having weapons in the hotel room before any innocent concertgoers lost their lives.

MGM Resorts Reaches Settlement With Las Vegas Shooting Victims

The massacre happened – and nothing will change that. It is important that all parties affected by any sort of mass-shooting incident to understand that they have rights. They can exercise their rights and pursue legal action against the parties that have at least some liability in the incident.

Seek Legal Assistance

At Downtown L.A. Law Group, our lawyers have many years of experience handling many different claims. At our firm, we are dedicated to representing all victims and their families. We understand how such traumatic experiences can completely shake the lives of all parties involved. At Downtown L.A. Law Group, we simply want to help victims and their families hold the correct parties or entities accountable for their actions, constantly fighting for their rights to be compensated. We are dedicated to providing victims and their families with the representation necessary to pursue a claim. Specifically, we offer free consultations and free second opinions. We offer a Zero-Fee guarantee and a strict contingency structure to all parties interested in speaking with our lawyers. If you would like to discuss your claim or the possibility of pursuing a claim with the experts at our law firm, do not hesitate to contact us today.