Is the Monorail in Las Vegas Safe?

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.

What Are Some of the Risks Associated with Riding the Las Vegas Monorail?

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:

• Derailment or accident;
• Slip and fall at the station;
• Slip and fall aboard the Monorail;
• Fall from stairs or escalator at Monorail station;
• Robbery on the Monorail;
• Assault on the Monorail; and
• Terrorist attacks on the train.

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:

• Security officers are staffed at each of the seven stations and have a number of different tasks, including maintaining the Monorail system securing, helping passengers with any problems on board the trains, answering questions about ticket sales and fares, and providing information about riding the Monorail.
• Emergency Push-To-Talk intercom systems known as “E-Tels” are installed at all Monorail stations and on all trains in order to give passengers a direct line to the Monorail’s Central Control. Anyone can pick up the E-Tels and use them to report suspicious activity, to call for emergency assistance, or for any other necessary reason.
• Explosive detection canines accompany specially trained officers throughout the Monorail system. These canines work with their handlers to identify any explosives at the Monorail stations or onboard the trains.
• Mass transit code and safety standard requirements are met throughout the Monorail system. The Las Vegas Monorail describes itself as “a state-of-the-art transportation system that meets every applicable mass transit code and safety standard.”
• Maintenance checks are performed daily on the system, and these maintenance checks are comprehensive to ensure that a derailment or other accident will not occur as a result of improper maintenance.

Who is Liable for a Las Vegas Monorail Accident?

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:

• Las Vegas Monorail Company if it fails to provide adequate security or to repair hazards that could lead to a premises liability accident;
• Las Vegas Monorail Company if it fails to have the train adequately maintained and regularly serviced;
• Security officer who does not properly perform his or her job when a robbery or assault occurs;
• Company in charge of providing maintenance for the Monorail if it is negligent in its servicing of the train or its parts;
• Designer of the Monorail or one of its parts in the event of a defect; and
• Manufacturer of the Monorail or one of its parts in the event of a defect.

Should I Consider Taking the Monorail?

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.

Contact a Las Vegas Personal Injury Lawyer If You Were Injured While Riding the Las Vegas Monorail

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.