Three individuals have filed a lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, claiming negligence from the entertainment giant is to blame for injuries they suffered during the Lovers and Friends Festival in Las Vegas in May 2022. Three individuals – Carla Thomas, James Thomas, and Aaliyah Aguilar – say they were trampled in a stampede that resulted after some thought they had heard gunfire.
The plaintiffs, who argue that Live Nation failed to implement basic safety measures to protect attendees, claimed that Live Nation “failed to take basic, reasonable steps,” to prevent such an incident from happening.
“Plaintiffs screamed for help from the event organizers and security, but none came,” lawyers for the trio wrote. “Plaintiffs screamed for emergency medical care for their injuries, but none came.”
During the two-day festival in May, which featured R&B and rap artists such as Usher, Ludacris, and Ne-Yo, performances were briefly interrupted when a large number of attendees fled the venue due to rumors of gunshots. Authorities later confirmed that no shooting had occurred. Stampedes caused by false reports of gunfire have become increasingly common in recent years, with injuries occurring at various concerts, and even leading to three fatalities at a GloRilla concert in New York.
Live Nation was similarly targeted by a wave of lawsuits in the wake of the tragic events at Astroworld in Texas in 2021, where several concertgoers were killed and hundreds of others injured during a “crowd crush” as Travis Scott performed. The lawsuits have largely been settled outside of the spotlight, with a planned congressional hearing to examine Live Nation’s history of concert security and safety lapses quietly delayed and then forgotten entirely in the 18 months since that festival.
In the Lovers & Friends Festival lawsuit, the plaintiffs claim that a loud noise triggered the stampede at the Las Vegas festival, resulting in a wave of people surging toward them. They describe being “pushed, smashed, dragged, kicked, stepped on, trampled, and crushed to the ground,” sustaining serious injuries and emotional distress. The plaintiffs’ lawyers assert that Live Nation is responsible for their clients’ injuries, alleging negligence in the planning and operation of the festival.
According to the legal complaint, Live Nation failed to provide adequate security, safety, and medical provisions, as well as a safe venue with clear signs and warnings to guide attendees toward emergency exits in case of an alarm or emergency. While such lawsuits are common following incidents where fans are injured at concerts, they are challenging to win. The accusers’ lawyers will need to demonstrate that Live Nation could have foreseen the incident and that the company neglected to take specific steps that would have prevented the injuries suffered by their clients.
A representative for Live Nation has not yet responded to a request for comment on the matter, according to Billboard.
