Island View Casino Resort in Gulfport, Mississippi filed a lawsuit in Harrison County Circuit Court against a Louisiana couple whom the resort said was negligent for causing a fire in their casino hotel room in November 2016. The suit said the couple plugged a one-watt book light into a laptop computer charger that was too powerful, then left the room. About two hours later the fire alarm went off, activating an overhead sprinkler system that flooded the couple’s room and others on the fourth floor. Patrons were evacuated from the hotel, casino and restaurants, the lawsuit said.
The Gulfport Police Department responded to the fire. Following an investigation, they determined the book light had overheated and exploded and the heated components started the room fire.
The resort’s attorney Robert Myers Jr. said the couple should not have used a charger that was too powerful for the book light or left the equipment unattended. Island View is seeking unspecified property damages, recovery of lost revenue, attorneys’ fees and interest. Myers said the lawsuit was filed only after Island View was unable to reach a settlement with the couple’s insurer, USAA.
The woman named in the lawsuit, reached by telephone, said her husband recently passed away and their insurance company is handling the lawsuit. She declined further comment.
