Nine of the 10 wrongful death lawsuits filed after a deadly crowd surge at the 2021 Astroworld music festival in Houston have been settled, including one that was set to go to trial. The lawsuits stemmed from a tragic incident at the concert by rapper Travis Scott on November 5, 2021, that resulted in the deaths of 10 people, including 23-year-old Madison Dubiski. The jury selection for Dubiski’s wrongful death suit was scheduled to begin this week, but it was announced that only one lawsuit remains pending, which was filed by the family of 9-year-old Ezra Blount, the youngest victim of the concert.
The terms of the settlements in the wrongful death lawsuits were kept confidential, and attorneys refrained from commenting on the details due to a gag order in the case. The one remaining wrongful death lawsuit, filed by Blount’s family, is ready for trial, according to their attorney, Scott West. State District Judge Kristen Hawkins plans to discuss the case next week along with other potential trials related to injury cases filed after the concert. More than 4,000 plaintiffs filed hundreds of lawsuits following the concert, and about 2,400 injury cases remain pending.
The announcement that nearly all of the wrongful death lawsuits have been settled came after the trial in Dubiski’s case was put on hold due to an appeal by Apple Inc. Apple, one of the defendants in the case, livestreamed Scott’s concert and had appealed a court ruling that denied its request to be dismissed from the case. However, following the trial delay, attorneys for Dubiski’s family settled their lawsuit with all the defendants, including Apple, Scott, and Live Nation, the concert’s promoter. At least four other wrongful death lawsuits had previously been settled, but Wednesday marked the first official update that nine out of the 10 wrongful death suits have been resolved.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs in the lawsuits have alleged negligent planning and a lack of concern over capacity and safety at the concert as the cause of the deaths and injuries. The victims, aged 9 to 27, died from compression asphyxia, a condition likened to being crushed by a car. Despite these accusations, Scott, Live Nation, and the other defendants have denied the claims, emphasizing that safety was their top priority and the incident could not have been foreseen.
After a police investigation, a grand jury declined to indict Scott, along with five others connected to the festival. The legal proceedings following the Astroworld tragedy have shed light on the complexities of the case, with most of the wrongful death lawsuits now settled and one remaining unresolved. The tragic events at the concert have raised questions about crowd safety and event planning, leading to a significant number of lawsuits and legal action in the aftermath. The settlement of these lawsuits brings some closure to the families of the victims, although the legal process is ongoing for the remaining cases.
