Who is Liable If I Fell at a Concert?

michele

5 years ago

As with any other venue, those properties offering entertainment must take measures to keep patrons safe. If you were injured at a concert, liability depends on the individual circumstances, but concerts by their very nature require extra care on the part of the property owner. Anyone attending a concert should expect a large crowd, probable alcohol consumption, and lighting that may make navigation difficult. Because these are known hazards of such events, the operators should adhere to an even higher standard of care than ordinary property owners.

Concert Accidents

When large numbers of people gather to celebrate, especially if alcohol is involved, an atmosphere conducive to injury is created. There is a long history of such accidents. More recent incidents include fans falling off balconies onto concertgoers below, which usually relates to poor maintenance by venue operators. Venue owner negligence at concerts and similar events may include:

Failure to maintain the property in a safe manner
Lack of sufficient security
Serving alcohol to drunk or underaged patrons
Lack of signage warning patrons of potential dangers

Premises Liability

As with other types of slip and fall accidents, an injury sustained at a concert falls under premises liability. However, just because someone slips and falls on one’s property does not mean the property owner is automatically liable. The injured party must prove that the venue’s owners and operators should have known or reasonably known that the property was unusually slippery, if such a slip caused the accident, and should have mitigated the issue or warned patrons.

For example, take a concertgoer who slipped and fell in the venue’s restroom. If an employee had recently washed the floor but there was no signage warning of the wet floor, or the area had not been cordoned off, the venue owner is likely liable for the slip and fall injury. However, if someone in the bathroom spills their drink on the floor and another person slips and falls, the property owner may argue that they did not know of the slippery conditions and could not have cleaned it up in the brief period between the spillage and the slippage.

If the injured party was drinking or using drugs at the time of the concert, the venue operators may argue it was the individual’s impairment rather than the property conditions that caused the fall.

Our Virginia Beach Personal Injury Lawyers Help Those Injured at Entertainment Venues

If you were injured at a concert or other entertainment event because of another party’s negligence or recklessness, a Virginia Beach personal injury lawyer can help. At East Coast Trial Lawyers, we will fight to obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Call us today at 757-352-2237 or complete an online form for a free consultation. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, we represent individuals nationwide, including those in Chesapeake, Eastern Shores, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk, as well as North Carolina and nationwide.