On November 5th, a deadly crowd surge killed ten people and injured hundreds more at Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival. Since then, a litany of lawsuits has been filed against the rapper and other event organizers in Harris County Court. They allege that the festival organizers, Live Nation, Apple, Travis Scott, Drake, and others were negligent in their preparations and safety procedures for the show. These flaws proved fatal, and now ten bereaved families and a multitude of other injured victims are filing suit. Currently, Travis Scott and others are being sued by more than 800 individuals.
The First of Many
Manual Souza, an attendee of the festival, was one of the first to file a lawsuit against Travis and other organizers for negligence. He claims that the accident was a “predictable and preventable tragedy.” Steve Kherkher, Souza’s attorney, asserts that “they consciously ignored extreme risks of harm… and actively encouraged and fomented dangerous behaviors.” Souza’s lawsuit asserts that Scott and other Astroworld organizers ignored the warning signs, such as security breaches and stampedes. Even though dozens were injured in the crowd surge, organizers “made the conscious decision to let the show go on, despite the extreme risk of harm.” Souza currently seeks $1 million in damages.
$2 Billion in Damages
The most pressing lawsuit to arise from the Astroworld tragedy is that filed by Thomas J. Henry on behalf of nearly 300 plaintiffs. Travis Scott, Drake, Live Nation, and Apple are all named as defendants in the suit. Mr. Henry states, “My clients want to ensure the defendants are held responsible for their actions, and they want to send the message to all performers, event organizers, and promoters that what happened at Astroworld cannot happen again.” Also, the plaintiffs allege that Apple is to blame for the tragedy because, “early reports… indicate that the premises were arranged in a fashion at the detriment to concertgoer safety.” The lawsuit asks for $2 billion in damages.
Apple Named in Lawsuit
Another lawsuit seeks more than $750 million in damages from Scott, Drake, Apple, Live Nation, Tri Star Sports & Entertainment, and more. Tony Buzbee filed the complaint for more than 125 plaintiffs. Axel Acosta’s parents are among the notable figures in the lawsuit. They have filed wrongful death claims after the November 5 passing of their son. The suit also claims gross negligence, supported by timelines similar to those outlined in the $2 billion lawsuit. Buzbee calls out Travis Scott and his organizers for their jaded attempts at avoiding liability.
Ezra Blount’s Estate
Ezra Blount is the youngest victim of the Astroworld tragedy. He died at just nine years old, from injuries sustained to “basically every organ” after being trampled at the festival. His family, through Ben Crump and Bob Hillian, have filed a complaint against Scoremore Management, Live Nation, and Travis Scott that alleges negligence. Similar to many other lawsuits, this one claims that the defendants failed to provide proper security. They also provided inaccurate medical aid and training to their staff, among many other faults. Though Scott offered to pay for Ezra’s funeral services, the Blount family declined, and the lawsuit is ongoing.
As of December 1st, half of all the victims’ families at Astroworld have refused Scott’s offers to pay for funeral services as a result. Lawyers for the bereaved families stated that Travis only offered to pay for the expenses to “lessen the public outcry”.
More to Come
Currently, Travis Scott and his partners are facing 25o+ lawsuits. Travis has hired Daniel Petrocelli from O’Melveny & Myers LLP. Petrocelli was a major figure in the OJ Simpson wrongful death suit. Live Nation have also hired an attorney. Neal Manne, one of the managing partners at Susman Godfrey, is a well-known tort lawyer.
What else can we expect in the wake of the Astroworld tragedy? Music Daily reached out to an attorney who says, “events will just up their insurance and security and pass the price along to the public so expect higher ticket prices.”
