Mississippi has a well-earned reputation as having a lively and entertaining casino scene on the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast. Most patrons have a lovely time at the casinos and in the lavish hotels and entertainment venues, and tend to suffer nothing more than a few financial bruises. Sometimes, however, visitors to our Mississippi casinos are physically injured during the course of their visits as a result of negligence on the part of property owners and/or managers. In many cases, these patrons can sustain serious and life altering injuries.  If you or a loved one was injured because of a casino owner or manager’s negligence, do not wait to consult with an experienced Biloxi casino personal injury lawyer.

Duty of Care

Mississippi’s casinos tend to be full of sparkle, shine, and pizazz – and don’t leave patrons overly concerned about their welfare when they enter. The fact is, however, that property owners are responsible for providing their guests – including casino patrons – with premises that are well maintained in reasonably safe conditions that allow for safe passage. While casinos know how to pile on the glitz, this doesn’t mean that they always maintain their properties in a reasonably safe condition or engage in appropriate safety measures for their customers. In other words, when accidents and attendant injuries happen on casino properties, they are often directly caused by negligence on the part of the property owner.

Common Dangerous Casino Conditions

A number of dangerous conditions can lead to injuries on the premises of a casino. Some of the most common types of incidents that lead to injuries at casinos include:

  • Slips and Falls– Casinos are busy, often-chaotic places, and when not maintained carefully, they can present a myriad of tripping and slipping hazards. Dangerous conditions include spills on walkways, highly polished and slippery marble floors, debris that’s left uncleared, badly worn or otherwise dangerous flooring, inadequate lighting, poorly designed and/or executed staircases, and more. These dangerous conditions often lead to slip (or trip) and falls, and can lead to serious injuries including broken bones, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and spinal cord injuries.
  • Shuttle Bus Accidents – Casinos generally offer shuttle bus services to and from hotels and local airports. Negligent shuttle bus drivers can cause dangerous traffic accidents that leave passengers vulnerable to serious injuries. The shuttles themselves can also pose serious dangers, including slippery and/or uneven steps and entryways that lead to slips and falls. Further, poorly loaded and/or secured luggage can fall and injure passengers en route.
  • Dram Shop Liability – Enterprises that serve liquor, such as casinos, bear responsibility for overserving alcohol to obviously impaired patrons. Casinos often use alcohol as a lubricant to help encourage increased gambling, and if an inebriated customer goes on to cause a dangerous traffic accident, the casino can be found liable.
  • Increased Risk of Assault – Casinos can also attract thieves. After all, they draw a large crowd of revelers who tend to drink a bit too much, have plenty of cash on them, and often let their guard down. When casinos fail to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their patrons – including ample security cameras, well-lit walkways and corridors, an adequate number of security guards, and careful surveillance – they put customers at increased risk of being assaulted.

Common Casino Injuries

Just as the kinds of dangerous casino conditions can vary considerably, the types of injuries sustained are diverse. Some of the most common, however, include:

  • Broken Bones – The impact of a slip and fall or a shuttle accident can lead to broken bones, which are exceptionally painful injuries that can be slow to heal and debilitating during the healing process. Broken bones often require surgery, which makes them more costly to treat. When a broken bone fails to heal properly, it can lead to a lifetime of pain and can even become a permanent disability.
  • Spinal Cord Injuries – Spinal cord injuries are often caused by an impact to the neck, back, head, or shoulders, such as are common in serious slip and fall accidents, assaults, and shuttle accidents. Spinal cord injuries can be especially difficult injuries to treat. A spinal cord injury can lead to paralysis, chronic pain, and/or a severe decrease in range of motion. When very serious, such an injury can leave the victim permanently paralyzed below the site of the injury.
  • Traumatic Brain Injuries – TBIs, because they affect the brain, are extremely dangerous. An injury to the brain can leave the injured party with debilitating emotional consequences that can include increased anxiety, symptoms of depression, agitation, altered brain functioning, memory problems, PTSD-like symptoms, emotional instability, and much more. Victims often compare the effects to living with an altered sense of self, which can be a catastrophic outcome.

Your Damages

If you have been injured by a casino’s negligence, the damages you suffer can be extensive, including:

  • Medical Expenses – The medical costs associated with a serious injury can begin with emergency care and extend to surgery and aftercare, treatment from doctors and specialists, physical therapy, rehabilitation, prescription medications, and more.
  • Lost Wages – The time that you spend recovering from your injuries translates to time lost on the job and to lost wages. If your injuries are serious, you could face a decrease in your earning potential well into the future.
  • Pain and Suffering – The physical pain and suffering associated with a casino injury can become chronic and life altering.
  • Emotional Damages: The emotional trauma resulting from serious injuries, and anxiety and worry over financial strain or inability to engage in physical activities once enjoyed can be overwhelming. Mississippi law gives those suffering such damages as a result of casino’s negligence the right to be compensated for these emotional injuries in an amount to be determined by a Jury.

Consult with an Experienced Biloxi Casino Personal Injury Attorney

If a casino’s negligence leaves you injured, Christopher Van Cleave at Van Cleave Law in Biloxi is a formidable personal injury attorney who is committed to skillfully advocating for compensation that covers the full array of damages you’ve sustained, including your physical, financial, and emotional damages. To schedule your free initial consultation, please don’t hesitate to contact or call us at (228) 432-7826 today.