HOUSTON (AP) — The one remaining wrongful dying lawsuit filed after 10 individuals had been killed throughout a lethal crowd crush on the 2021 Astroworld music pageant has been set for trial in civil court docket in September, a decide mentioned Tuesday.
State District Choose Kristen Hawkins scheduled jury choice to start on Sept. 10 within the lawsuit filed by the household of 9-year-old Ezra Blount, the youngest particular person killed throughout the live performance by rap celebrity Travis Scott.
If the lawsuit filed by Blount’s household goes to trial, it will be the primary civil case stemming from the lethal live performance that can go earlier than a jury.
Blount’s household is suing Scott, Dwell Nation, the pageant’s promoter and the world’s largest stay leisure firm, and different firms and people linked to the occasion, together with Apple Inc., which livestreamed the live performance.
Throughout a court docket listening to Tuesday, attorneys for Blount’s household had requested Hawkins if the trial might be held sooner However Hawkins mentioned numerous authorized and logistical points made it unlikely the case might be tried earlier than September.
Scott West, one of many attorneys for Blount’s household, advised Hawkins they nonetheless deliberate to depose Dwell Nation CEO Michael Rapino earlier than the trial.
Attorneys for Dwell Nation have fought efforts to have Rapino questioned on what he knew concerning the pageant, arguing he didn’t have any distinctive data concerning the occasion. However plaintiffs’ attorneys have argued Rapino had a hands-on function in reserving Scott for the pageant, was targeted on ticket gross sales and capability and in addition despatched an e mail hours after the lethal live performance saying that “if 5 died we’d cancel” the second day of the pageant. The second day was later canceled.
Neal Manne, an lawyer for Dwell Nation, mentioned he hopes an settlement relating to Rapino’s deposition will be labored out however he would possibly nonetheless attraction the problem to the Texas Supreme Courtroom.
The lawsuit filed by Blount’s household is one in every of 10 wrongful dying civil fits filed after the lethal live performance.
Final week, attorneys had introduced that the opposite 9 wrongful dying lawsuits had been settled. Phrases of the settlements had been confidential. Attorneys within the case have been restricted in what they’ll say exterior of court docket hearings due to a gag order within the case.
The wrongful dying lawsuit filed by the household of 23-year-old Houston resident Madison Dubiski had been set to go to trial final week. But it surely was settled earlier than jury choice started.
About 2,400 damage circumstances filed after the lethal live performance additionally stay pending. Greater than 4,000 plaintiffs had filed a whole bunch of lawsuits after the Astroworld crowd crush.
Throughout Tuesday’s listening to, Hawkins scheduled the primary trial associated to the damage circumstances for Oct. 15. That trial will give attention to seven damage circumstances.
“There will likely be a variety of levels of accidents,” West mentioned concerning the trial associated to the damage circumstances.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs have alleged in court docket filings that the deaths and a whole bunch of accidents on the live performance had been brought on by negligent planning and an absence of concern over capability and security on the occasion.
These killed ranged in age from 9 to 27. They died from compression asphyxia, which an knowledgeable likened to being crushed by a automotive.
Scott, Dwell Nation and the others who’ve been sued have denied these claims, saying security was their No. 1 concern. They mentioned what occurred couldn’t have been foreseen.
After a police investigation, a grand jury final 12 months declined to indict Scott, together with 5 others linked to the pageant.
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