Tampa Casino Accident Attorneys
As the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is set to unveil a $700 million expansion in 2019, casino accidents continue to be an ongoing problem. Although people head to the casino for fun and relaxation, a sudden casino accident can turn a fun night out into days, weeks or even a lifetime of heartache.
When a casino accident occurs because of the negligence of the casino operators, you may recover financial compensation. If you’re hurt, you need financial compensation to help you pay your bills and compensate you for your suffering.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Undergoes Expansion
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa, Florida is undergoing it’s largest expansion ever. The entertainment complex is set to add 1,000 slot machines and 75 gaming tables to its already robust gambling options. Although with increased casino activity, the addition includes a 15-story hotel tower including 564 rooms with 79 suites. There are also restaurant additions as part of the project. VIP guests will have their own elevator to access the casino.
Tampa Casinos May Have Legal Liability for Accidents
While most people don’t think about the possibility of an accident when they plan a trip to the casino, Tampa casinos may have legal liability when an accident occurs on their premises. Casino owners invite patrons to come to the casino for business purposes. The patrons spend money, and the casino makes a profit. Because the business transaction benefits the casino, the legal burden is on the casino to take care to offer a safe experience for customers.
The legal duty of casino operators is high. As business operators, they have the highest legal duty under Florida law to take care of their property. The casino must have adequate staff to inspect the property regularly and find problems before they cause accidents. The casino even has the legal obligation to hire only qualified staff members. If an accident occurs, there’s a good chance that it happened because of the negligence of the casino.
How To Prove Negligence In Casino Injury Claims
- Establish duty (highest for invitees), breach (e.g., unclean spills), causation (hazard directly caused injury), damages (medical bills, lost wages)
- Casino injury lawyers subpoena footage, maintenance logs
- Even patron-caused slips shift to casino for failure to clean
- Tribal casinos like Seminole Hard Rock require Gaming Patron Tort Claim Form first due to sovereign immunity
Florida Products Liability Laws Apply to Casinos
The legal term for the liability that a Tampa casino has for an accident is called premises liability. The term premises liability just means that the owner of a property has the legal obligation to take care of it. When accidents occur, the victim may recover financial compensation because of the property owner’s failure to take sufficient care of the property. If the property is leased to someone else, the legal liability may fall on the owner or the tenant depending on who has the obligation to maintain the specific location or item that causes the accident.
The legal standards for premises liability vary based on the reason the injured person is on the property. While business owners have the highest obligation to their customers, the standards are lower for social guests like when you have someone over for dinner. The lowest burden is for trespassers.
In the context of a casino, the difference may be relevant in that a casino patron is only a business invitee with the highest degree of protection if they stay within areas meant for customers at the casino. If a patron goes, without permission, to employee-only areas or other off-limits places, they may lose their status as a business invitee and become a trespasser. Determining the status of an injured patron at the time of the accident is critical to determining the victim’s right to recover for the accident.
What If Another Patron Causes the Accident?
Many casino accidents and injuries occur because of the actions of other patrons. For example, if an intoxicated individual assaults you or tries to steal your personal items, you might assume that it’s the third party that’s legally liable for your injuries. However, the casino may ultimately still have legal liability for your injuries.
In the case of an assault from an intoxicated individual, there are many ways that casino representatives may still have contributed to the accident. For example, they may have continued to serve the patron alcohol when they were visibly intoxicated. They may have failed to remove the patron when the patron began to act inappropriately.
In another example, if a patron spills a drink on the floor, legal liability may attach to the casino for failing to notice and clean up the spill before an accident occurs. If a theft occurs in the parking lot, it may be the casino’s fault for not employing security guards to monitor the lot. Ultimately, you determine legal liability by examining the actions and inactions of each party and whether those actions contribute to the accident. It’s important not to assume that the casino is free of legal liability without speaking to an experienced attorney for casino accidents in Tampa.
Injured in a Casino? Here’s What to Do Next
Casino accidents are more common than many people think. Because casinos are large corporations that make a living from entertainment and false impressions, going up against one of them can be a considerable challenge. Tampa casinos have large legal teams dedicated to keeping people like you from getting the compensation that you deserve and need to recover from an injury, but you don’t have to go up against them alone.
Steps To Take After A Casino Accident
Acting quickly after an accident in casino preserves evidence and protects your premises liability claim against casino owners.
- Seek medical attention immediately – even minor-seeming casino injuries like slips can worsen
- Document scene, injuries, witnesses without signing casino forms
- Report to security but consult a casino injury lawyer before statements, as casinos withhold surveillance footage
- Gather evidence like photos of wet floors or hazards to prove casino owners’ negligence
Types of Casino Injuries
As with any retail establishment, casinos are responsible for maintaining a safe place for the public, free of hazards. When they fail to do this, people can get hurt – and the casino is liable for the costs associated with these injuries.
Here are just a few ways that you can be harmed at a Tampa, FL casino through no fault of your own:
| Injury Type | Common Causes | Potential Damages |
| Slip-and-Fall Accidents | Wet/unsafe floors, slippery spills not cleaned timely, loose carpeting | Medical expenses, lost wages, pain/suffering from head/neck injuries |
| Stair/Walkway Falls | Unsafe stairs/walkways, poor lighting, flashing casino floor lights | Emergency care, rehab costs, future medical treatment |
| Faulty Equipment Injuries | Escalators, chairs, elevators not maintained safely | Property damage, physical therapy, permanent disability claims |
| Assault/Crime Victim | Inadequate security/staff, intoxicated patrons, large crowds jostling | Emotional distress/PTSD, security upgrade demands, punitive damages (rare) |
| Food Poisoning | Casino restaurants hygiene failures | Ongoing medical treatment, lost income, infection-related expenses |
| Hotel Hygiene Issues | Bed bugs, poor casino hotel sanitation | Skin infections, mental anguish, seek compensation for ruined stays |
| Crowd/Lighting Hazards | Inadequate lighting, intoxicated patrons pushing in crowds | Soft tissue injuries, anxiety treatment, lifestyle impact damages |
Casino negligence breaches duty to business invitees. Property owners must inspect regularly under Florida premises liability.
What to Do When You’ve Had a Casino Accident
When you have a casino accident, it is important to take the right actions as soon as possible. First, you should always report the accident to casino security. They will want a long statement, but this is not the time for that. It is essential that you give statements and sign things only when your lawyer has approved it. If you do not have legal counsel, wait until you do.
After this, go immediately to a hospital or clinic. You do not have to go to the one that the casino recommends if they have a preference. Once you have sought medical treatment, call a Tampa personal injury lawyer immediately. If you have already signed an accident report or other paperwork with the casino, it is even more imperative to get legal counsel so they can direct the case from now on.
What Can I Recover If I’m Hurt in a Casino Accident?
If you’re hurt in a casino accident, you may claim compensation for all of the financial and intangible losses that you have because of the accident. Some of the damages that you have you can easily measure with a dollar amount equal to your financial losses. For other types of losses like mental anguish, you work to determine a fair monetary value that represents your suffering. Here are the types of compensation that you can claim for a casino accident:
- The cost of emergency medical care
- All medical costs including projected future expenses
- The cost of physical therapy
- Emotional suffering
- Mental injuries like anxiety and PTSD
- Changed lifestyle
- Compensation for inability to work
- Physical pain
The compensation that you deserve depends on the severity of your injuries, the expenses associated with your injuries, and your financial losses because of the accident. The value of your claim may be higher than you think. Our casino accident attorneys in Tampa can help you determine the full value of your legal claim.
Casino Injury Claim Values
You can recover fair compensation for the follwing damages after proving negligence in your premises liability claim.
- Economic damages cover medical expenses, lost wages, rehab
- Non-economic damages include pain/suffering (these are harder to quantify)
- Punitive damages are rare and include gross recklessness
Settlements average higher for serious casino injuries (e.g., head/neck). Partial fault reduces via Florida modified comparative negligence. Get in touch with casino injury attorney to maximize settlement and receive fair compensation.
Comparative Negligence in Casino Premise Liability Claims
Florida’s modified comparative fault reduces compensation by your percentage (e.g., 30% intoxicated = 30% less compensation); casinos usually blame patrons. Strong evidence via footage shifts more fault to casino owners. Having a casino injury lawyer by your side to file a personal injury lawsuit helps to maximize recovery in hotel and casino accidents.
Why You Need a Casino Accident Lawyer Today
If someone is hurt on casino property, getting an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible is critical to getting the judgment you deserve.
- Casinos have insurance covering accidents and injuries on their grounds, but they still will fight tooth and nail to discredit you.
- They will try to minimize your injuries, discredit your claim, and keep from paying the money you need for medical bills, lost work, and pain and suffering.
- They will likely have video of the event from security cameras that they can misconstrue to make the accident look like your fault.
One of the first things casinos consider when confronted with a personal injury claim is which lawyer is representing the plaintiff. If a person does not have a lawyer or has one who is not experienced in personal injury, the claims handler for the casino will try to get out of paying even a dime. However, they know that an experienced fearless advocate will not allow them to get away with paying less than the injured party is owed.
Casinos can be sneaky in avoiding accident and injury claims. They will try to trick you into dropping your claim or accepting less than you are owed. However, there is no reason to settle for this.
Get in touch with our personal injury law firm today and get the money you need to move on from a casino accident. Contact the legal team at Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys for a professional and confidential consultation about your casino accident claim.
Free Consultations With Our Casino Accident Attorney in Tampa
If you or a loved one has been suffered serious injuries while on the premises of a Tampa, FL casino, our attorneys can help. Jack Bernstein and his team has 37 years of experience in successfully litigating cases against casinos. Remember, You won’t have to pay any fees unless you win. Contact us today for a free consultation and to begin your claim.
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About Jack G. Bernstein Esq.
Personal Injury Lawyer
For more than 40 years, personal injury lawyer Jack G. Bernstein has protected the rights of individuals who have been injured in a variety of circumstances. Throughout his career, Bernstein has been a strategist thoroughly dedicated to the idea of protecting the rights of his clients. Mr. Bernstein is a member of the Florida State Bar Association, the Hillsborough Bar Association and the Clearwater Bar Association.
Mr. Bernstein has the experience and expertise to handle a wide range of injury cases. Among the types of plaintiffs Mr. Bernstein represents are individuals involved in car accidents caused by drunk drivers or other exhibiting negligence, medical complications resulting from carelessness caused by a physician or a medical facility, including brain injury, bicycle, motorcycle, moped and truck accidents, admiralty law and cruise ship accidents, accidental drownings, all types of wrongful death lawsuits, along with most injury, catastrophic occurrences and legal malpractice issues.
Our firm handles every type of personal injury and accident case, using negotiation and litigation tactics effectively. We handle cases throughout Tampa, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, FL. With a staff of approximately 40 people, including six lawyers and 34 support personnel, we have the legal resources to get the justice you deserve and the maximum recovery for your losses. Schedule your free consultation today; we are always here to help.
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