Nine of 10 Astroworld wrongful death cases settled

Nine of the 10 wrongful death lawsuits filed over the Astroworld disaster have been settled, it has been announced.

Ten people died and hundreds more were injured during the fatal crowd crush at the November 2021 festival at NRG Park in Houston, Texas, US.

As per AP, Neal Manne, a lawyer for the festival’s promoter Live Nation told a court hearing yesterday (8 May) that only one wrongful death lawsuit filed in relation to the tragedy remained pending, with the settled suits including one filed by family of 23-year-old Madison Dubiski.

That trial had been due to start this past Monday (6 May), but was delayed due to a battle over whether Apple Inc., which filmed Scott’s Astroworld performance for an exclusive livestream, should be involved in the case.

Attorney Noah Wexler, who represented Dubiski’s family, confirmed during the court hearing that their case “is resolved in its entirety”. Terms of the settlement, which has been reached with all defendants including Live Nation, Scott and Apple, have not been disclosed.

“The confidential agreement will honour Madison Dubiski’s legacy and promote improvements for concert safety”

“Mr Scott is grateful that a resolution has been reached without the need for a trial,” says Ted Anastasiou, a representative for the rapper. “The confidential agreement will honour Madison Dubiski’s legacy and promote improvements for concert safety.”

The remaining pending lawsuit relates to nine-year-old Ezra Blount, the disaster’s youngest victim. Scott West, an attorney for Blount’s family, told the court the case was ready for trial, but Manne said lawyers for other defendants being sued were not ready.

State district judge Kristen Hawkins plans to discuss the Blount case at a hearing next week along with potential trials related to the thousands of injury cases filed over Astroworld, of which around 2,400 are still pending. Hawkins added that if the family’s lawsuit is not settled, she is leaning towards scheduling that as the next trial instead of an injury case.

In June last year, a grand jury declined to indict Scott, nor anyone else associated with the festival.

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LN & Jeezy not responsible for US concert shooting

Live Nation and rapper Young Jeezy were not liable for a fatal shooting backstage at a concert in California, an appeals court has ruled.

A wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the family of event promoter Eric Johnson, Jr, who died in hospital following the incident at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View in August 2014.

The suit claimed that Live Nation had been legally negligent because it had insufficient security measures in place to prevent the shooting, but a subsequent trial ruled in the defendants’ favour.

Billboard reports the California Court of Appeal has now upheld the ruling on the basis that the attack was not “foreseeable”.

“A violent attack by and between artists and their guests in the backstage area of a performance is not a foreseeable occurrence”

“A violent attack by and between artists and their guests in the backstage area of a performance is not a foreseeable occurrence against which Live Nation should have provided preventative measures of the nature plaintiffs suggest,” writes Justice Stuart R. Pollak.

“The reports did not … indicate that any of the artists or their entourages engaged in or posed any danger of violence during the tour. The head of security also indicated that in her more than 10 years at the amphitheatre, there had not been any violent incidents backstage.”

Live Nation faces a similar suit over the backstage stabbing of Drakeo the Ruler at 2021’s Once Upon a Time in LA festival. Drakeo, real name Darrell Caldwell, was attacked by a group of masked assailants prior to his scheduled performance at the event, and later died in hospital from his injuries.

Organisers are accused of providing insufficient security in the lead up to the attack. Live Nation failed in its first attempt to have the case dismissed earlier this month.

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