Posted by callgentry |
As new lawsuits including hundreds of injured and killed individuals against Live Nation Entertainment begin to pile up following the tragic events at Astroworld Festival 2021, another wrongful death case against Live Nation Entertainment continues in St. Louis County, Missouri.
Astroworld Festival 2021
After the mass casualty incident in Houston, Texas, a $750 million suit filed by attorney Tony Buzbee names Live Nation Entertainment and ScoreMore Holdings, concert production and entertainment companies that organized and produced the event. The lawsuit also names the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation, and at least two other lawsuits have been filed, which name Travis Scott and Drake in addition to the aforementioned companies.
The lawsuits claim that security officials were not licensed and that Live Nation focused on profits over safety. The lawsuits also allege that Scott ignored the presence of emergency vehicles in the audience and elected to continue his performance, knowing that there was a great threat to attendees.
Another lawsuit claims event organizers — including Live Nation Entertainment — were negligent in regards to crowd control, safety precautions, hiring and training of staff, and providing medical equipment. Many of the allegations mirror the allegations of Smith v. Live Nation pending in St. Louis County Missouri for the wrongful death of Jasen Smith.
The Aftermath
This alleged lack of preparedness and safety precautions became evident when, at around 9 p.m., the crowd began to surge forward, toward the front of the stage, which “caused some panic, and it started causing some injuries,” Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said at a press conference after the incident.
Social media videos show attendees climbing onto the stage, screaming for Scott to stop the show, stating “there’s a dead body” and “someone died 8 songs ago.” Other videos show concertgoers laying on the ground as a crowd of roughly 50,000 people continued to frantically move out of the way of emergency vehicles. In one TikTok video, a woman can be heard screaming that she couldn’t feel her legs after falling to the ground as others fell on top of her.
In total, 25 people were hospitalized — including a 10-year-old child — and nine people died — the youngest of which was 9 years old.
Live Nation Entertainment’s History
This isn’t the first time Live Nation Entertainment has been at the center of a controversy involving live music and the death of fans. In fact, Live Nation Entertainment is named in a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from a May 2019 concert at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, Missouri.
According to the lawsuit, Jefferson City resident Jasen Smith, his wife and friends attended a Dave Matthews Band concert at the Missouri venue and were about to leave when Smith returned to the venue to retrieve a souvenir shirt the group had accidentally left behind. When he did not return sometime later, his wife became concerned.
After sending a text and calling his phone, a venue employee answered her calls and told her that Smith had been injured. According to court documents, Smith’s wife returned to the venue to find him lying on the ground with blood in his ears and mouth.
Statement from Wrongful Death Attorney Chip Gentry
After further investigation, the lawsuit alleges employees of Live Nation Entertainment were cleaning the venue and had been throwing chairs onto a sidewalk below when Smith was struck in the head, causing him to fall and hit his head. After a night in the hospital, Smith succumbed to his injuries.
He was 44 years old and left behind a wife and two sons.
“After enjoying an evening with his wife and their friends at a relaxed concert on a Wednesday night, Jasen was killed due to what we believe to be Live Nation’s negligence,” the family’s attorney Chip Gentry told the Kansas City Star.
Contact a Jefferson City Personal Injury Lawyer at Call & Gentry Law Group
The attorneys at Call & Gentry Law Group have been representing personal injury victims and their families for years. Attorneys Jason Call, Chip Gentry, Emily Fretwell and Nick Leslie collectively have more than 50 years of experience handling wrongful death claims and lawsuits.
Our team of skilled attorneys along with our experienced and exceptional staff can provide unparalleled service and personal attention to your case. Please feel free to drop by the office, email us at contact@callgentry.com or call us at 573-691-4552 for a free consultation.