Settlements reached in the majority of lawsuits following deadly Astroworld festival tragedy
ICARO Media Group
In a significant development, nine out of the ten wrongful death lawsuits filed against the organizers of the 2021 Astroworld music festival have been settled, according to an attorney for Live Nation, the festival's promoter. The lawsuits were filed in the aftermath of a fatal crowd surge during a concert by rap superstar Travis Scott on November 5, 2021, resulting in the deaths of ten people, including 23-year-old Madison Dubiski.
The wrongful death lawsuit filed by Dubiski's family was set to go to trial this week, with jury selection scheduled to begin. However, during a court hearing on Wednesday, Neal Manne, attorney for Live Nation, revealed that the lawsuit, along with nine others, has been resolved through settlements. Noah Wexler, attorney for Dubiski's family, confirmed the resolution of their case, stating that it was "resolved in its entirety."
The terms of the settlements remain confidential, and attorneys refrained from commenting due to a gag order imposed by the court. Ted Anastasiou, a representative for Travis Scott, expressed gratitude that a resolution had been reached and highlighted that the confidential agreement would honor Madison Dubiski's legacy and promote improvements for concert safety.
Following Madison Dubiski's tragic death, her family established the Pink Bows foundation, dedicated to enhancing safety measures at outdoor concerts and similar events. Meanwhile, the sole remaining wrongful death lawsuit is filed by the family of 9-year-old Ezra Blount, the youngest victim of the concert tragedy.
Attorneys involved in the litigation will convene next week to discuss scheduling the trial for the Blount family's lawsuit. Scott West, attorney for Blount's family, asserted in court that their case was ready for trial, but Manne stated that he, along with the other defendants' lawyers, was not prepared.
State District Judge Kristen Hawkins indicated her inclination to prioritize the Blount case for the next trial, should it not be settled. Additionally, she plans to address potential trials related to injury cases stemming from the deadly concert.
Over 4,000 plaintiffs filed hundreds of lawsuits after the tragic event, and approximately 2,400 injury cases still remain pending. The recent announcement of settlements in the majority of wrongful death lawsuits follows the postponement of the trial in Madison Dubiski's case last week. Apple Inc., one of the defendants in the case, had appealed a court ruling that denied its request to be dismissed. An appeals court subsequently granted Apple a stay in the case.
In the aftermath of the trial stay, attorneys for Dubiski's family reached a settlement with all defendants, including Apple, Travis Scott, and Live Nation, the world's largest live entertainment company. Four other wrongful death lawsuits had previously been settled and announced in court records, but this is the first time that an update has been provided regarding the resolution of nine out of the ten lawsuits.
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs have alleged that negligent planning and a lack of concern over capacity and safety at the event led to the deaths and hundreds of injuries. Conversely, defendants such as Scott, Live Nation, and others named in the lawsuits, have denied these claims, asserting that safety was their top priority. They maintain that the tragic incident could not have been anticipated.
Following a police investigation, a grand jury declined to indict Travis Scott and five others associated with the festival last year.
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