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400 Victims Sue Travis Scott, AstroWorld Organizers For $750M
A total of 400 plus victims filed suit against Travis Scott and Astroworld organizers such as Live Nation. They are seeking $750 million in damages for more than 125 victims and their families.
The total number of cases filed against Scott and Astroworld organizers now exceeds 170.
RELATED: 9-Year Old Astroworld Attendee Dies From Injuries
Astroworld Organizers Liable For Death and Injuries
The deadly Astroworld musical festival last October left 10 people dead and hundreds injured.
A crowd surged towards the stage during main draw Travis Scott’s performance. The large crowd crushed and trampled a number of people who were caught by surprise.
Weeks after the tragic event, Live Nation has yet to respond to the mounting number of lawsuits. Travis Scott nor his representatives have also avoided making public statements.
However, the rapper’s defenders say that Scott remained unaware of the extent of the stampede from his stage location.
Prominent Houston attorney Tony Buzbee filed the latest lawsuit on behalf of 125 alleged victims. These include the victims themselves and their family members.
The family of Axel Acosta, a 21-year-old who died after getting crushed by the crowd, is among those who filed suit. “Axel died that night on the muddy ground at a concert he attended for fun,” Buzbee wrote in Tuesday’s petition. “Axel Acosta loved and adored Travis Scott and the other performers at Astroworld — the feeling was not mutual.”
Scott, Astroworld Organizers Sued For Negligence
Similar to earlier cases, the Buzbee lawsuit accused Travis Scott, Live Nation, and others of legal negligence. The suit pointed out that the group failed to make “an even minimal effort” to ensure the safety of attendees.
Buzbee wrote that the Astroworld tragedy resulted in “needless and senseless” deaths and injuries. As a result, the families of the victims will have to suffer endlessly as well.
As defendants can dispute the amount requested in court, the $750 million sought for damages does not represent the final amount.
However, the amount is an indicator of how much trouble Astroworld organizers are potentially in. Buzbee and the other lawyers believe that the victims collectively suffered.
“The damages sought in this case attempts to fix, help, or make up for the harms and losses suffered by these plaintiffs — nothing more and nothing less,” Buzbee wrote.
In addition, Buzbee hopes that the eventual award can serve as an example. If they win, the huge amount of damages can convince future event organizers to put safety at the forefront, and not an afterthought.
More Lawsuits Expected
Even as the number of plaintiffs grew to over 400, legal experts see more incoming fire for Scot and Astroworld organizers. They expect additional claims to total in hundreds.
The event, which 50,000 attended, reportedly had to treat more than 300 people for their injuries during the crowd surge.
Experts foresee litigation to take a couple of years. In addition, the damages could involve hundreds of millions of dollars.
The basic crux of the lawsuits focused on Astroworld’s safety shortcomings. The suits contend that Astroworld failed in their duty to keep paying fans safe.
There were failures in planning before the event and failure in responding to warning signs earlier in the day. Also, the organizers failed to shut down timely to avoid more problems.
In addition to Scott and Live Nation, lawsuits are also naming other groups as defendants. This includes rapper Drake, who performed with Scott during the surge, and ScoreMore, a Texas music promoter.
Apple Inc, who livestreamed the event, was also named a respondent. In addition, security contractors Contemporary Services Corp, Harris County Sports & Convention Corp, and ASM Global also ended up as defendants.
Watch the KHOU video reporting on the Astroworld Festival tragedy: Travis Scott among several defendants hit with $750M lawsuit:
What do you think of the growing number of lawsuits against Travis Scott and other Astroworld organizers? Do you think they can still talk their way out of trouble here?
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