A man who was injured while setting up a concert at Jones Beach Marine Theatre will receive a $101 million payout from Live Nation.
Mark Perez, 36, was setting up a Best Buy booth on June 26, 2013 when a forklift crashed into the structure and caused him to fall 10 feet. When he plummeted to the ground, he fractured his skull, the lawsuit notes. He was forced to undergo four brain surgeries and now suffers from memory loss. Additionally, he lost his then-girlfriend and now needs full-time care.
Perez filed a suit against Live Nation that year for damages of past and future suffering, lost earnings, and medical expenses. Live Nation originally offered a $31 million settlement, but Perez rejected the deal. He left it up to a jury to determine damages during a trial which began on October 28. Proceedings wrapped-up last week.
Attorney Benedict Morelli told the New York Post that at the time, Perez’s family were told he had a 10 percent chance of survival. In the future, he’ll likely need additional brain operations and now he is two to three times more likely to develop degenerative diseases like early-onset dementia, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s disease.
“There was a lot to it and the defendant’s experts and lawyers never really took responsibility,” Morelli said. “They tried to diminish his cognitive deficiencies, almost blaming him, to get a discount.”
