Free Consultations 24/7
Request A Call HereUnless you have the financial resources to pay for a private concert, most people go to a concert expecting to be surrounded by hundreds or thousands of others who share a passion for the band that is performing and the music that is being played. While this shared experience can be uplighting and fun, without crowd control what was once enjoyable can turn into a disaster.
It might feel like there is no way to hold someone responsible for the injuries you’ve sustained because after all, how can someone figure out who started a stampede when 18,000 people were involved? However, those in charge of the venue are legally responsible for ensuring that the correct security measures are in place. If they fail to do so, the victims can file a negligent security case against them.
A lawsuit can provide the plaintiff with the compensation that is needed to pay for the total losses that were sustained, including:
Don’t wait to contact our concert accident lawyers – there are strict statutes of limitations in all civil lawsuits which limit the amount of time that a victim has to file. If the statute of limitations passes, those literally crushed at a concert may forever lose the opportunity to recover compensation.
On December 3rd, 1979, the British band The Who arrived in Cincinnati, Ohio to perform for nearly 20,000 fans. The show was set to begin at 8:00 p.m., however, the band was running behind schedule and as a result, the venue doors were still not open at 7:45 p.m., causing a very large, very upset crowd to perform.
The band, unaware of the atmosphere that was forming outside of the doors, began to warm up. Unfortunately, the concert goer’s could hear the music and assumed that the concert had begun without them.
Those in the back began to push forward and anyone unlucky enough to be against the door had nowhere to go. Eventually, two doors were opened but when it became clear that those were the only two doors that were unlocked, the crowd pushed even harder, causing a literal stampede.
Many people were knocked to the ground while others were crushed against the building or against other bodies. As a result, eleven people died from asphyxiation, having been crushed to the point where they were unable to take in a breath. Those who were lucky to survive sustained serious injuries from being trampled.
It was later determined that only 25 police officers were in place to handle crowd control despite the fact that more than 18,000 tickets to the event were sold.
Crowd control problems are not new and despite numerous instances where people have lost their lives, venue owners, managers, and security companies still fail to take the proper precautions, causing many concert goers to be seriously hurt or killed. While it’s not possible to go back and time and change those events, it is possible for the victims and their loved ones to take legal action and to get the compensation they deserve.
If the victim does not survive their injuries, their loved ones may be able to pursue legal action. Typically, eligible family members include the parents, spouses, and children of the deceased, however, if another family member was dependent upon them, they too may be eligible.
Plaintiffs filing a wrongful death lawsuit can collect additional compensation for funeral and burial expenses, lost inheritance, and lost companionship.
While there is no way to predict exactly how much you and your loved ones could gain from filing a lawsuit, we can calculate your losses and all lawsuits are designed to cover those losses.
For example, if the plaintiff sustained a brain injury and their medical expenses to date have totaled $500,000, their doctor predicts that they will require an additional $2 million in medical care over their remaining lifetime, and they are unable to work as a result, causing them to lose $3 million in lost wages, the compensation that they recover should be at least $5.5 million. That’s not taking into account any additional compensation that would be given to cover their physical and emotional trauma.
It can be difficult to know who was responsible for the situation which resulted in your injury. This is why it’s important to contact an attorney after you’ve been hurt at a concert.
While you take the time that you need to get the proper medical care and to focus on healing, an attorney can review the case and determine exactly who was at fault. Then, they will begin to collect all of the necessary information required to prove that their client’s injuries were caused by a failure to implement crowd control. Evidence may consist of:
When the party responsible realize that they may risk losing a significant amount of money, evidence often “disappears”, never to be found again, which is why a call should be made to our law firm as quickly as possible.
Also keep in mind that there are strict time limits when it comes to filing negligent security claims and if the statute of limitations passes, you may no longer be able to pursue legal action. Don’t hesitate, contact us today.
Continue reading concert accident articles like: https://banvillelaw.com/concert-accidents/defective-equipment/
