Sugarland lawyer blames fans for Indiana injuries
mysticweed
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Shakespeare was right
"The First Thing We Do, Let's Kill All the Lawyers"
http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=705826
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Fans who were killed and injured when stage rigging and sound equipment collapsed onto them as they awaited a Sugarland concert at the Indiana State Fair failed to take steps to ensure their own safety and are at least in part to blame for their injuries, the country duo's attorneys said.
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The statement, part of a Feb. 16 response to a civil suit filed by survivors and families of some of those killed, is a clear attempt to cast blame away from the band as investigators continue to search for answers in the collapse that killed seven people and injured 58.
Calling the powerful winds that toppled the stage on Aug. 13 an "act of God," Sugarland's attorneys said fair officials and Mid-America Sound Corp. were responsible for the stage setup, and that the fans voluntarily assumed risk by attending the show.
"Some or all of the plaintiffs' claimed injuries resulted from their own fault," according to the response. Sugarland attorney James H. Milstone would not elaborate Tuesday on whether that statement included those killed as well as the injured.
The lawsuit response sharply contrasts comments lead singer Jennifer Nettles gave The Associated Press two days after the stage collapsed.
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Nettles said then that she was "moved by the grief of those families who lost loved ones. Moved by the pain of those who were injured and the fear of their families. Moved by the great heroism as I watched so many brave Indianapolis fans actually run toward the stage to try and help lift and rescue those injured. Moved by the quickness and organization of the emergency workers who set up the triage and tended to the injured."
Sugarland manager Gail Gellman issued a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday saying Nettles and Kristian Bush were upset that anyone might think they were not concerned about their fans.
"Sadly when a tragedy occurs, people want to point fingers and try to sensationalize the disaster. The single most important thing to Sugarland are their fans. Their support and love over the past nine years has been unmatched. For anyone to think otherwise is completely devastating to them," the statement read.
Attorneys representing at least 20 law firms across Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky filed the complaint Nov. 22 in Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis alleging breach of reasonable care to the victims. The suit names as plaintiffs dozens of people injured and the families of some of those killed, and it seeks unspecified damages from Sugarland, producers, stage riggers and others associated with the show.
"The First Thing We Do, Let's Kill All the Lawyers"
http://music.msn.com/music/article.aspx?news=705826
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Fans who were killed and injured when stage rigging and sound equipment collapsed onto them as they awaited a Sugarland concert at the Indiana State Fair failed to take steps to ensure their own safety and are at least in part to blame for their injuries, the country duo's attorneys said.
Bing: Whitney Houston's dress, earrings up for auction
The statement, part of a Feb. 16 response to a civil suit filed by survivors and families of some of those killed, is a clear attempt to cast blame away from the band as investigators continue to search for answers in the collapse that killed seven people and injured 58.
Calling the powerful winds that toppled the stage on Aug. 13 an "act of God," Sugarland's attorneys said fair officials and Mid-America Sound Corp. were responsible for the stage setup, and that the fans voluntarily assumed risk by attending the show.
"Some or all of the plaintiffs' claimed injuries resulted from their own fault," according to the response. Sugarland attorney James H. Milstone would not elaborate Tuesday on whether that statement included those killed as well as the injured.
The lawsuit response sharply contrasts comments lead singer Jennifer Nettles gave The Associated Press two days after the stage collapsed.
Check out msnNOW: The social trends people are talking about
Nettles said then that she was "moved by the grief of those families who lost loved ones. Moved by the pain of those who were injured and the fear of their families. Moved by the great heroism as I watched so many brave Indianapolis fans actually run toward the stage to try and help lift and rescue those injured. Moved by the quickness and organization of the emergency workers who set up the triage and tended to the injured."
Sugarland manager Gail Gellman issued a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday saying Nettles and Kristian Bush were upset that anyone might think they were not concerned about their fans.
"Sadly when a tragedy occurs, people want to point fingers and try to sensationalize the disaster. The single most important thing to Sugarland are their fans. Their support and love over the past nine years has been unmatched. For anyone to think otherwise is completely devastating to them," the statement read.
Attorneys representing at least 20 law firms across Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky filed the complaint Nov. 22 in Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis alleging breach of reasonable care to the victims. The suit names as plaintiffs dozens of people injured and the families of some of those killed, and it seeks unspecified damages from Sugarland, producers, stage riggers and others associated with the show.
fuck 'em if they can't take a joke
"what a long, strange trip it's been"
"what a long, strange trip it's been"
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Having said that, the statement was pretty crass, and will probably be terrible PR for Sugarland. You have the performers at least acting like they have compassion and doing memorial stuff for the deceased, then you have their lawyer (who is technically speaking on their behalf) saying it was their own damn fault.
Edit: I was just reading a story about this, and I see why the band is being sued. The State Fair officials, and whoever was running the venue supposedly approached Sugarland about delaying the show, but they refused because it would "affect Nettles' warm-ups and delay travel plans". However if they had just delayed the beginning of the show until the storm blew over, the people would have still been there right? It doesn't sound like a postponement, just a delay, so the fans would have still been there and gotten hurt. Oh well, I don't know. Big mess, and a sad mess.
ok, seriously, I thought I remember that the weather reports were saying that there were going to be high winds that night and the band was advised to NOT set up. I cannot find any of the original articles since the newest reports are flooding the search results.
After reviewing the video from that night again...the stage was a temporary set-up, obviously NOT meant to withstand the high winds that occurred that night. If it was a permanent stage like Alpine, then it would be the fairground's fault. Whomever set up the scaffolding (IF THEY WERE WARNED TO NOT SET UP) is responsible. If it was a freak windstorm, then it was a freak accident that could not have been prevented.
It's sad to lose your life at a concert.
- Christopher McCandless