Astroworld: Last Remaining Wrongful Death Suit Has A New Trial Date
The last remaining wrongful death suit tied to the Astroworld Festival crowd rush is scheduled to go to trial in September, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.
The new date comes about a week after it had been revealed in court that nine of the 10 wrongful death cases tied to the crowd rush had been settled out of court, including one that had been set to go to trial this month. The final outstanding suit comes from the family of nine-year-old Ezra Blount, the youngest attendee who died.
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“As the youngest victim, Ezra’s terror must have been unimaginable as the crowd surge ripped him from the safety of his father’s shoulders and then crushed and suffocated the life out of his small body — also rendering his dad unconscious,” Bob Hilliard, an attorney for the Blount family, said in a statement last week after news had surfaced of the settlements.
Blount was one of 10 people who died of compression asphyxia at the beginning of Travis Scott’s set at Astroworld in Houston in November of 2021. The incident led to hundreds of lawsuits and a police investigation. A grand jury declined to criminally charge Scott and several festival organizers tied to the event last year. Hundreds of other suits tied to injuries are outstanding as well, and the first trial for those will start in October, per the AP.
Madison Dubiski’s family’s trial would’ve been the first of the hundreds of lawsuits filed. Dubiski’s family listed Scott, Live Nation and Apple — which livestreamed the concert — as defendants. The defendants denied any wrongdoing.
Both Apple and Scott’s recent requests to be dismissed from the case were denied in recent weeks, and Apple appealed the decision, delaying the trial to an unspecified date. They settled last week, with reps for Scott and Dubiski’s family hinting that the settlement — which remained undisclosed — would include provisions to improve safety at concerts and live events.
“The parties were able to reach agreement on a confidential settlement,” Jason Itkin, attorney for Dubiski’s family, said in a statement. “The parties will cooperate in the future to honor Madison Dubiski’s legacy and promote improvements in concert safety.”
As Ted Anastasiou, a representative for Scott, said in a statement: ““Mr. Scott is grateful that a resolution has been reached without the need for a trial,” Ted Anastasiou, a representative for Scott, said. “The confidential agreement will honor Madison Dubiski’s legacy and promote improvements for concert safety.”
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