The owner of the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas has filed federal lawsuits against more than 1000 victims of last year’s mass shooting in an attempt to absolve itself of any liability for the attack.
MGM Resorts International is not seeking any money from the victims, but is attempting to prevent them from seeking any compensation from the casino giant for the shooting, which killed 58 people.
According to a report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, MGM is citing a 2002 statute which basically absolves companies of liability for mass casualty events of this nature so long as they provably employed “anti-terrorism” technology or services that can “help prevent and respond to mass violence.”
MGM claims that by employing a security team which had been vetted by the Department of Homeland Security, they met that criteria and are therefore not liable for what happened.
The lawsuit asks a judge to consider this 2002 statute and whether it applies to MGM – thus invalidating any future lawsuits from victims and their families. It was actually passed in the wake of the September 11 attacks, which led to a number of complex lawsuits, in a deliberate move to extend broad protections to companies which become involved in mass casualty events.
Debra DeShong, a spokeswoman for MGM Resorts, issued a statement about the lawsuit:
The Federal Court is an appropriate venue for these cases and provides those affected with the opportunity for a timely resolution. Years of drawn out litigation and hearings are not in the best interest of victims, the community and those still healing.
Robert Eglet, a lawyer who has represented several of the victims of the Las Vegas shooting, told the Review-Journal that the filing of this lawsuit “verges on unethical.”
“I’ve never seen a more outrageous thing, where they sue the victims in an effort to find a judge they like,” he said. “It’s just really sad that they would stoop to this level.”
His comment about ‘finding a judge they like’ refers to the fact MGM filed this lawsuit in federal court rather than Nevada state court. Lawsuits have already been filed against both MGM and concert promoter Live Nation.
On October 1 last year, Stephen Paddock opened fire from his Mandalay Bay suite, killing 58 people and injuring hundreds of others. No concrete motive has been provided for the FBI for the attack.
