Life is all about its twists and turns and MGM Resorts International recently proved that with its latest move. This Tuesday brought the latest development regarding the shooting victims from last October it is suing, announcing that it is going to make donations of $500 to shooting victims-related charitable organizations for every individual opting out of the legal notice serving process.
This summer brought a controversial move performed by the major casino developer and operator, as MGM Resorts filed a lawsuit against as many as 1,900 people directly affected by the mass shooting which took place last autumn at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. In an attempt to stir clear from liability in this unfortunate situation, in the wake of the deadly shooting MGM decided to sue its victims.
It should be taken into account that the lawsuit filed does not demand any money from the victims of the shooting, as it has been established previously, keeping the sole objective on avoiding any prolonged legal actions in the foreseeable future. It aims to make it clear that the casino developer has no fault for the actions which led to the massacre.
Alternative Offer Has Been Provided
Now it has been confirmed that the casino developer is preparing to provide a significant boost to many charities. They would be proposed by the individuals affected by the lawsuits under the condition that they provide the necessary legal notices proving that they are among the sued ones. MGM Resorts considers this being the more convenient approach since the alternative situation would have the casino developer and operator serving a legal notice to every individual.
This could amount to about $250 per person, which could be instead utilized for the well-being of victims thorugh a charity directly related to the mass shooting. For those of them who opt out of the mandatory serving procedure or prefer their lawyer to receive the legal notice, the operator would provide a $500 donation on their behalf. As many as 37 attorneys have been working on protecting individuals’ best interest following the lawsuit filing in July.
Consequences of MGM Resorts New Offer
However, this new offer has been thoroughly inspected by Attorney Robert Eglet, one of the representatives involved in the case and he strongly opposes it. According to him, legal notice serving is a mandatory step for a reason, as it provides the individual being sued with the necessary details and further information regarding the lawsuit filed. It is not to be overlooked or avoided, because it also brings with itself a strict 21-day period over the span of which the person should provide the authorities with a response.
Each and every one of the individuals being sued has the legal right to obtain such document and remain well-informed regarding the legal actions set to occur. Following the reaction, MGM Spokesperson Debra DeShong stated that if the proposal does not receive approval of the sued individuals, the legal procedure would be closely followed and legal notices would be served. Damage control is a practice well-known in the industry, aiming to bring benefits to all parties involved in the situation.
The term is currently swirling around in relation to MGM Resorts, most recently mentioned by Aviva Gordon, Lawyer from Las Vegas. It oculd be recalled that the casino developer witnessed a wide-spread backlash from the field after it became known that a lawsuit was filed. As a result, thanks to the uniting power of Twitter, the hashtag #BoycottMGM was created and quickly gained traction to become trending. CEO Jim Murren was prompted to issue an official apology letter addressed to workers of the casino operator aiming to clarify the original intentions.
MGM Resorts actions backfired in a way, but it is still not too late to turn the situation around and pour in a significant amount of money to the said charities. The ultimate decision of victims would soon become known.
