If you are traveling to Las Vegas with friends or family members and planning to spend a significant amount of time on the Strip or in other areas of the city, you may be thinking about your transportation options. While some visitors to Las Vegas decide to rent a car, this might not be the most practical mode of transportation if you are planning to stay out late at the casinos, especially if you are going to consume alcohol. Parking can be extremely expensive along the Strip, and nobody who is intoxicated should get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.
There are many different forms of public transportation in Las Vegas, including taxis, Ubers, Lyfts, public buses, and the Las Vegas Monorail. For many tourists in Las Vegas, the Monorail seems like a great option for getting around. It runs quickly, arrives at each station every 4-8 minutes, gives visitors seven different stations to choose from, and is among the most efficient forms of transportation in the city. But is it a safe option? When taking the Monorail, you want to be sure that you understand the safety risks and that you take precautions.
The Las Vegas Monorail, as with any type of train, comes with risks of riding. An article in TimeOut provides information about public transportation in Las Vegas. While visitors to Las Vegas use a variety of public transportation methods everyday without any type of incident, there are many different ways in which passengers can sustain injuries while riding on the Monorail, including but not limited to the following:
The Las Vegas Monorail Company is committed to keeping the Las Vegas Monorail safe for passengers, and it lists the following as some of the safety measures it takes in order to ensure that passengers remain safe while using this form of public transportation:
There are many different reasons that train accidents and derailments can occur. The Las Vegas Monorail is a mass transit system that is a total of 3.9 miles in length, which is significantly shorter than other subway and mass transit systems. If an accident does occur, who is liable? The answer to that question depends on the type of injury and its cause. Some possible parties who may bear responsibility include but are not limited to:
As an article in the Journal of Urban Health explains, the mass transit rail environment, “with its enormous volume of people navigating heavily congested pathways, constricted platforms, and crowded stairs, escalators, elevators, ramps, and transfer stations, provides numerous opportunities for adverse incidents to occur.” Yet, “despite these challenges, the actual number of . . . injuries reported by the US Federal Transit Authority, roughly 10,000 each year, is remarkably low.” Given that information, should you consider taking the Monorail? The following are some safety tips for riding the Las Vegas Monorail and other forms of mass transit in the city:
Keep your purse, backpack, and other bags secure at all times;
Remove your backpack and carry it in front of you while entering the Monorail station and while riding the train;
Do not keep your wallet in your back pocket;
Be wary of anyone who is standing too close to you at the Monorail station or onboard the train;
If you are waiting at a station late at night, try to wait near a security officer;
Do not flash money, jewelry, or other valuables while you are at a Monorail station or onboard one of the trains;
Watch your step while you are boarding the Monorail; and
Hold onto handrails while taking the stairs or escalator up to the Monorail platform.
At Ladah Law, our experienced Las Vegas personal injury attorneys are here to help if you were injured while riding the Las Vegas Monorail. There are many different ways in which a serious accident or injury can occur on the Monorail. We can speak with you today about your case and discuss your options for filing a claim for compensation. Contact us through our website or call our firm at 702-252-0055 to learn more about the services we provide to residents of and visitors to Las Vegas.