A Trophy Eyes fan attended a gig in Buffalo earlier this year, but a stage dive by the pop-punk band’s vocalist left her partially paralyzed. Now, she is suing the frontman, band, promoter, and venue.
During a tour stop in Buffalo, New York on April 30 at the Mohawk Place, Trophy Eyes frontman John Floreani dove into the crowd and accidentally landed on 24-year-old concertgoer Bird Piche. She was immediately taken to the hospital, accompanied by Floreani. According to The New 96.1, Piche suffered a severe spinal cord injury that required extensive surgery.
Piche has named Mohawk Place, promoter After Dark Entertainment, Trophy Eyes, and Floreani as defendants, according to NBC news affiliate WGRZ in Buffalo, claiming that her injuries were a result of the defendants’ “negligence” and their failure to prevent “unsafe and/or dangerous conditions.”
“While plaintiff BIRD PICHE was in attendance at this concert, defendant JOHN FLOREANI jumped backwards from the stage into the audience,” an excerpt from the suit reads. “As a result of the uncontrolled stage dive, the lead singer, JOHN FLOREANI, landed on top of plaintiff BIRD PICHE causing her to be trampled and/or fall, sustaining serious bodily injuries. Plaintiff, BIRD PICHE, experienced serious personal injuries, conscious physical and emotional pain, fear for her safety and pain and suffering as a result of the incident.”
Trophy Eyes has not commented publicly on the suit at this time.
Following the accident, Trophy Eyes took to social media to share a recap of the night, noting that they “elected to immediately shut down the show.”
“Out of respect for the family, we have refrained from speaking about this publicly so far, but with the blessing of the family we are now able to say how truly heartbroken we are to be here now,” Trophy Eyes said. “Our friend, Bird, is now in recovery, but still has a long road ahead for them.”
A GoFundMe page, set up by the family in May, can be found here. While the band donated $5,000 towards the fundraiser, the family was seeking $100,000 to go towards medical expenses and Piche’s overall recovery. As of Thursday afternoon, the GoFundMe has raised over $88,000 in seven months.
The full lawsuit can be found here.
