9 out of 10 wrongful death lawsuits over Astroworld crowd surge resolved: lawyer

HOUSTON– Nine of 10 wrongful death lawsuits filed after a deadly crowd rampage at the 2021 Astroworld music festival have been resolved, including one that was supposed to go to trial this week, a lawyer said Wednesday.

Jury selection was set to begin Tuesday in the wrongful death lawsuit filed against the family of Madison Dubiski, a 23-year-old Houston resident who was one of 10 people killed during the crowd at the Nov. 5 rap concert 2021. star Travis Scott.

But Neal Manne, a lawyer for Live Nation, the festival’s promoter and one of those being sued along with Scott, said during a hearing Wednesday that only one wrongful death lawsuit remained pending and the other nine had been resolved, including o powered by The Dubiski family.

Noah Wexler, attorney for Dubiski’s family, confirmed during the hearing that the case “is resolved in its entirety.”

The terms of the settlements were confidential and attorneys declined to comment after the hearing due to a gag order in the case.

“Mr. Scott is grateful that a resolution was reached without the need for a trial,” said Ted Anastasiou, the rapper’s representative. “The confidential settlement will honor Madison Dubiski’s legacy and promote improvements to concert safety.”

After Dubiski’s death, his family created a foundation called Pink Bows, focused on improving safety at outdoor concerts and similar events.

The only wrongful death lawsuit that remains pending was filed by the family of 9-year-old Ezra Blount, the youngest person killed during the show. Lawyers involved in the litigation were scheduled to meet next week to discuss when the lawsuit brought by Blount’s family could go to trial.

“This case is ready for trial,” Scott West, an attorney for Blount’s family, said in court.

But Manne said he and lawyers for other defendants being sued were not ready.

State District Judge Kristen Hawkins said she plans to discuss the Blount case at next week’s hearing, along with possible trials related to injury cases filed after the deadly show.

Hawkins said if the Blount family’s lawsuit is not resolved, she is inclined to schedule this as the next trial rather than a personal injury case.

More than 4,000 plaintiffs filed hundreds of lawsuits following the show. Manne said about 2,400 injury cases remain pending.

The announcement that nearly all of the wrongful death lawsuits have been resolved came after the trial in Dubiski’s case was suspended last week. Apple Inc., which live-streamed Scott’s concert and was one of more than 20 defendants sued by Dubiski’s family, appealed a court ruling that denied its request to dismiss the case. An appeals court granted Apple a stay in the case.

In the days following the suspension of the trial, lawyers for Dubiski’s family settled the lawsuit with all defendants in the case, including Apple, Scott and Live Nation, the largest live entertainment company in the world.

At least four wrongful death cases had already been resolved and announced in court records. But Wednesday was the first time litigation lawyers updated that nine of the 10 wrongful death lawsuits had been resolved.

Lawyers for Dubiski’s family, as well as lawyers representing several other plaintiffs, have alleged in court filings that the deaths and hundreds of injuries at the concert were caused by negligent planning and a lack of concern for the capacity and safety of the event. .

The dead, aged between 9 and 27, died of compression asphyxiation, which one expert likened to being crushed by a car.

Scott, Live Nation and others who have been sued have denied these allegations, saying safety was their main concern. They said what happened could not have been predicted.

After a police investigation, a grand jury last year declined to indict Scott along with five other people linked to the festival.

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