Las Vegas GP faces lawsuit after manhole cover incident
A class action lawsuit has been filed against the Las Vegas GP and TAB Contractors Inc after a manhole cover incident at the Free Practice 1 event on Thursday. The Dimopoulos law firm, in conjunction with JK Legal & Consulting, filed the lawsuit on behalf of the 35,000 spectators who were at the track that evening.
The incident led to Free Practice 1 being stopped and a lengthy delay while water valve covers were checked. Spectators were then cleared from the venue due to staffing and security issues, and FP2, which was supposed to start at midnight, did not get underway until 2.30am. The affected spectators were offered a $200 voucher to be spent at the venue’s merchandise sites.
The lawsuit alleges breach of contract, negligence, and deceptive trade practices against the defendants, and seeks “money damages in an amount that will fairly and reasonably compensate them for the harm caused by the defendants.” Lead lawyer Steve Dimopoulos stated that they will vindicate the rights of the fans who travelled great distances and paid small fortunes to attend, but were deprived of the experience.
The claim also references the conditions on tickets, which suggests that if the event was cancelled and not rescheduled, a refund up to face value would be due. As of the time of the complaint, none of the attendees who were deprived of the opportunity to attend the event have received or been offered any refunds for their tickets.
The F1 organisation is aware of the claim but has declined to comment on the matter. The lawsuit is seeking payments of “in excess” of $30,000 per spectator, split equally between “general” and “special” damages, as well as damages for mental anguish.
The lawsuit will now proceed through the legal system as the defendants prepare their defense against the allegations.