Overview of Valet Liability

Even visitors to this city have probably noticed that, as a prominent city in the world of entertainment and hospitality, Las Vegas has a lot of opportunities for valet parking. Normally, the valets are honest people and good drivers, and their service is very helpful.

However, such is not always the case. There are some who use their position of power to steal valuable cars at the right opportunity since, after all, they already have the keys and the trust of the car’s owner. Other times, the valet’s conduct might not be intentional, but it may be that the driver messed up and had a car accident.

Even though they may only involve damage to one’s property, these sorts of accidents can be a serious financial hit on a person, especially if the car is new and an expensive or luxury make or model. One may also feel the financial burden if a valet damages a leased vehicle.

Usually, the contracted valet company or, if the valet was hired by a hotel or restaurant directly, the business establishment carries insurance to cover any sort of damage a valet driver causes while performing his or her job.

However, it can be difficult to prove that these companies are at fault for damage to a car. While the person who was driving at the time of an accident is, generally speaking, the one responsible for it, valets only a drive a vehicle for a very short time.

Except in the most flagrant of cases, it can be very easy for a valet company to deny liability simply because there is no way of knowing whether one of their employees caused damage to a vehicle or if someone else, including the vehicle’s owner, is actually responsible for the damage.

While car accidents involving valets have their own challenges which might necessitate the help of an experienced Las Vegas accident attorney, Nevada residents should remember that it is often worth to pursue these types of claims.