Posted on: October 12, 2023, 05:55h.
Last updated on: October 12, 2023, 05:55h.
A Sacramento, Calif. man is filing a lawsuit against the Tropicana Las Vegas and ride-hailing app Uber after a robbery of over $1 million in luxury watches resulted in severe injuries, The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Raimond Irimescu, along with his father Paul, owns Paul’s Watch Repair in Sacramento, specializing in high-end second-hand watches.
In October 2021, Irimescu was in Las Vegas to participate in the International Watch & Jewelry Guild expo held at the Tropicana.
Brutal Attack
On October 19, while sitting in an Uber outside the casino, a white minivan and a gray SUV blocked the Uber car’s path onto the property.
“Approximately four individuals … dressed in all black and wearing black and white masks, emerged from the white minivan and gray SUV and smashed the windows of the vehicle in which Plaintiff Irimescu was a passenger,” states the lawsuit filed in the Clark County District Court.
The assailants viciously assaulted the plaintiff, resulting in severe injuries, and stole two luggage bags and a backpack containing the watches Irimescu had displayed at the expo.
The complaint alleges that the Tropicana failed to provide adequate security for a trade show that attracts potential criminals. The expo promotes itself as “the world’s most active central exchange for acquiring, buying, selling, and trading fine watches, vintage, collectible timepieces, estate jewelry, and important diamonds.”
The lawsuit claims that the casino, due to “recklessness and/or carelessness,” did not employ sufficient security personnel nor enforce security measures during the event. It also accuses the casino of failing to provide a safe environment for the plaintiff.
Uber’s Negligence
Furthermore, the lawsuit holds Uber and the driver accountable for not ensuring the safety of its customers, including Irimescu. The company is accused of negligence in failing to recognize potential risks associated with the trade show.
The plaintiff argues that Uber does not adequately train its agents in passenger safety or conduct background checks on its employees.
Neither Tropicana owner Bally’s Corp. nor Uber have responded to requests for comment regarding the case.
Bally’s announced to its employees in May that it anticipates permanently closing the Tropicana within the next two years, pending approval of a $395 million stadium for the Oakland Athletics MLB team. The casino would be demolished to make room for the stadium.