Friday, November 17, 2017
14 Lawsuits Combined On Behalf Of Route 91 Attendees
Pollstar: Lawsuits have been filed on behalf of 14 attendees of the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas where a gunman opened fire on thousands and killed 58, naming as defendants the hotel, concert organizer Live Nation and makers of a bump stock gun accessory.
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3 comments:
This is a freaky time to be alive. I take a lot of issues with this idea that as Americans we should just sue those who have nothing to do with something because they should have done something. In this case, as the article points out, people are suing the hotel and the concert promoter because a person who was not in attendance at a concert was able to shoot and kill concertgoers from his hotel room some distance away as well as the manufacturer of the bump stock device. So let’s break this down shall we? The shooter was a VIP guest at the hotel. Nothing appeared unusual to hotel security. He did not attend the concert. He was not on the concert grounds. First, Live Nation can’t be held responsible for the actions of a person not in attendance at one of their events, and even if he was in attendance, it is up to the local security company to maintain a safe environment. If that company fails in doing so, you sue that company for negligence and dereliction of duty, not the promoter. Second, You can’t sue a gun parts manufacturer, or a gun maker for that matter, because it’s product was used in the commission of a crime. The Supreme Court has already ruled on that. Finally, suing the hotel because they should have done something. What exactly could they have done? Do you value privacy or not? People are alleging that the hotel should have been able to spot the suspicious activity, but here’s the thing, their security isn’t concerned with the comings and goings of guests or how many bags they may be traveling with, they are concerned about the casino floor. Also, with the different times of the day that he was bringing stuff in, it may not have been the same guard on duty to spot patterns. If I were the judge, I’d throw it all out. Yes, we can feel sorry for the victims or their families but you can’t just sue anyone because you’ve been hurt. The person you’re suing has had to have injured you in some way and based on all this, I just don’t see that.
It is interesting that people are suing the hotel and live nation for this mass shooting when there was not a lot they could have done to prevent it. I understand that people are in distress and want someone to blame and get money for their troubles. They cannot sue the man that did this because he is dead. People are rightfully angry at this situation and getting money from a lawsuit will not reverse what happened, but it could help them in the future with money troubles. It said that the shooter was a VIP with the hotel and got special privileges, but I do not see why using the service elevator was one of those perks. The hotel should have paid closer attention to the large amounts of baggage he was bringing in to the hotel and possibly questioned him about it. I understand that they like to give customers privacy, but maybe there should be more security measures in place if things are looking suspicious.
This is tough. I agree that seems like a useless and unfair suit. As Sam mentioned, I also understand that people are hurting and looking for someone to blame and for some sort of recompense for their pain. The person to blame is already dead and has escaped justice and punishment.
The hotel and the festival really shouldn’t be held liable for people’s physical and mental injuries. I’ve never heard of a hotel doing a routine bag check. And yes, it makes sense that they would value both high rollers and privacy. And sure, perhaps the festival could have better marked exits and a gunfire location devices, but would that have realistically saved lives under the circumstances?
I think the suit against the makers of bump stocks seems more legitimate, since it’s an accessory designed for no other reason than to give civilians the capacity to kill more people. That’s it. That’s its only reason for existing.
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