Crown Casino in Melbourne is being sued for negligence by a client who suffered life-changing injuries after slipping on a spot of vomit on the casino’s floor. Michael Stephenson, the plaintiff, will always remember that night in December 2017, a night that he ended with a broken neck.
Crown Casino in Melbourne that is owned and operated by Crown Resorts may have to face hundreds of thousands of dollars due to the negligence of not taking appropriate actions and deal with the hazard that led to the injuries.
Fractures and Operations
Mr Stephenson who was unemployed by the time of the incident, claims he is now suffering with depression and anxiety, as the broken neck and the injury to his right hip were so serious that they left him with an abnormal gait.
The neck fracture required rewiring and screwing back into place, as a result of which Mr Stephenson was unable to take care by himself in his home, his lawyers claim in the suit filed with the County Court. Regarding the hip injury, the plaintiff underwent a dynamic hip screw operation to fix the fracture that brought to him limited mobility and significant pain. Even pre-existing back and knee injuries were aggravated due to the fall and made the overall condition of Mr. Stephenson worse.
Slip Hazard Unattended
Crown Casino allegedly failed to manage with an obviously intoxicated customer, who vomited on the floor and created a slip hazard. Further, the casino staff failed to attend and assist the customer, as well as restrict the area of the hazard and subsequently clean it and place a warning sign for punters.
Due to the negligence shown by the casino staff, Mr Stephenson suffered personal injury loss and damage, the Herald Sun reports. Even now, the plaintiff is suffering from spiraling medical expenses due to the injuries sustained that night.
Crown Resorts Face Other Issues
The suit filed by Mr Stephenson’s lawyers with the County Court seems to the smallest concern for Crown Casino, as recently the gaming and hospitality operator that is owned by casino magnate James Packer has been often in the news.
During the first days of the business closure, Crown Casino was granted a special exemption, prompting questions regarding the necessity of such treatment as casinos are far from being an essential business, putting pressure on Victorian government that subsequently led to the exemption being revoked.
Even before that, the New South Wales gaming regulator, the Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority /ILGA/, launched an investigation into the company’s suitability to hold a gaming license, which the regulatory body suspended temporarily in April, due to the spreading of the coronavirus that prevented its safe continuation.