Injured at a Concert or Music Festival? What are Your Rights?

As environments filled with music, friends, drinks, and good energy, concert venues are thought of as places of entertainment and pure fun. However, there are, unfortunately, many factors that could contribute to creating unsafe conditions in concert venues for their attendees. In fact, many personal injury cases occur at concert venues and music festivals.

An extreme personal injury case occurred in 2013 during a Kid Rock concert at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in New York. A serious punch to the back of the head resulted in permanent brain damage for 34-year-old Alabama man, Jason McNeil. McNeil has no memory of the incident, yet he sustained brain injuries so severe he now has trouble walking and talking and will never be able to work again. This tragic event changed not only his life, but the lives of his wife and two young daughters as well.

In McNeil’s claim, his family filed a lawsuit against the concert promoters and Darien Lake Performing Arts Center for providing inadequate security. Live Nation Inc. (the promoting company), Contemporary Services Corp. (a national security company) as well as the owners of the venue were accused of taking incorrect security measures and violating the alcohol consumption policies for the event. As it turns out, the man that punched McNeil had been ejected from the venue for intoxication and other violent acts. However, concert security never actually removed the individual from the venue. Ultimately, the McNeil family sought millions in compensatory and punitive damages.

Though this is an extreme example, personal injuries occur at concert venues more often than you would think. Like in McNeil’s case, personal injuries can result due to negligent venue management and concert promotion that may lead to the following incidents:

• Slipping on spilled drinks
• Tripping on exposed wires
• Overcrowding
• Faulty electronics, lighting or pyrotechnics
• Assaults by members of the public
• Unstable seating or stage structures

Injuries or damages caused by these types of circumstances have the potential to merit a personal injury claim on the basis of premises liability. Premises liability, also known as landowner’s liability, refers to landowners’ responsibility for any damages or injuries that occur on their property. It also states that landowners have a duty to exercise reasonable care in order to prevent harm and create relatively safe environments for their guests/customers. In McNeil’s claim, the venue owner did not exercise adequate safety precautions, which directly resulted in his life-altering injury.

In the unfortunate event that you have been hurt or injured at a concert venue due to the property owner or concert promoter’s negligence, remember these few tips. Take photos of the incident, the place that it occurred, any damages or injuries, etc. Write down all of the details as soon as possible in an effort to remember what happened accurately. Consult your Arizona Injury Lawyers, as proving fault in these types of cases can be difficult. Here at Torgenson Law we have seasoned personal injury lawyers that specialize in personal injury claims. If you sustained damages due to another party’s negligence, you may be eligible for compensation. Call us at (602) 726-0747 we can help you receive the compensation you deserve.