Astoworld Festival - Update 07/11/22
Update 06/29/22
Astroworld Festival - Q3 2022 Update
This is still a relatively new mass tort docket arising out of the tragic ending to the Travis Scott concert at the Astroworld venue in Houston late last year, in which almost a dozen concert goers were crushed to death in a crowd surge, and thousands more sustained physical and/or life altering mental trauma.
Our law firm has been selected to serve on an executive committee with several other well established law firms to undertake the lead roles in this litigation, and we have filed almost 2000 claims for clients from around the country. This is about half of all cases filed in this litigation. As mentioned before, we were able to conduct inspections of the facility and obtain numerous concert documents in the days and weeks after the incident and we were able to get the Houston court system to consolidate all of the thousands of cases to one judge for uniform case development. While that was delayed by dilatory actions of some of the other parties who filed a formal stay on the litigation with the Texas Supreme Court, we have since been able to get the case back to the trial court and have had a number of hearings already which have produced a case management order, an agreed upon electronic data system for documents, and remission of the first rounds of formal discovery requests to all parties.
Our leading liability expert on crowd control issues, Dr. Keith Still, was also later hired by the Governor of Texas to participate in an investigation into this tragedy and make recommendations back to the governor’s office. We also have ongoing discovery into restraining orders and document preservation orders against the defendants, as we continue to share in the effort to help the other plaintiff law firms organize our own discovery teams as part of the consolidation of cases.
Our firm founder, Brent Coon, operates a national production company and knows how these events are supposed to be planned and why this one failed so needlessly. The movie producer we were working with early on has finished his work and released a documentary on the tragedy, which helps shed some public light on how this happened and is well worth the watch. Meantime, as stated before, if you are a client in this case, be sure to save any video or camera shots from cell phones, any record of the ticket purchase, any hotel room or other costs incurred, and any medical bills and records.
Our law firm has been selected to serve on an executive committee with several other well established law firms to undertake the lead roles in this litigation, and we have filed almost 2000 claims for clients from around the country. This is about half of all cases filed in this litigation. As mentioned before, we were able to conduct inspections of the facility and obtain numerous concert documents in the days and weeks after the incident and we were able to get the Houston court system to consolidate all of the thousands of cases to one judge for uniform case development. While that was delayed by dilatory actions of some of the other parties who filed a formal stay on the litigation with the Texas Supreme Court, we have since been able to get the case back to the trial court and have had a number of hearings already which have produced a case management order, an agreed upon electronic data system for documents, and remission of the first rounds of formal discovery requests to all parties.
Our leading liability expert on crowd control issues, Dr. Keith Still, was also later hired by the Governor of Texas to participate in an investigation into this tragedy and make recommendations back to the governor’s office. We also have ongoing discovery into restraining orders and document preservation orders against the defendants, as we continue to share in the effort to help the other plaintiff law firms organize our own discovery teams as part of the consolidation of cases.
Our firm founder, Brent Coon, operates a national production company and knows how these events are supposed to be planned and why this one failed so needlessly. The movie producer we were working with early on has finished his work and released a documentary on the tragedy, which helps shed some public light on how this happened and is well worth the watch. Meantime, as stated before, if you are a client in this case, be sure to save any video or camera shots from cell phones, any record of the ticket purchase, any hotel room or other costs incurred, and any medical bills and records.
Q1 2022 Update - 04/13/22
Astroworld Festival - Q1 2022 Update - 04/05/22
Astroworld Festival - Q1 2022 Update - 03/09/22
Q4 2021 Update
This is a new mass tort docket arising out of the tragic ending to the Travis Scott concert at the Astroworld venue in Houston late last year, in which almost a dozen concert goers were crushed to death in a crowd surge, and thousands more sustained physical and/or life altering mental trauma.
Our firm has undertaken the lead role in this litigation, and we have filed almost 2000 claims for clients from around the country. This is more than 50% of all cases filed by all law firms. We were able to conduct inspections of the facility and obtain numerous concert documents in the days and weeks after the incident and we were able to get the Houston court system to consolidate all of the thousands of cases to one judge for uniform case development last month. Unfortunately, most of the defendants were able to get a stay filed on the litigation with the Texas Supreme Court to determine if there should be a stateside consolidation of the cases. It has been assigned to a judicial panel to make that determination. It may be a few months before that determination has been made and we are allowed to proceed again.
In the meantime, we have hired the best experts in the world on crowd control issues, we have filed restraining orders and document preservation orders against the defendants, and we are leading the effort to help the other plaintiff law firms organize our own discovery teams as part of the consolidation of cases. Our leading expert is working with the State of Texas in a separate investigation into the incident, and we are also working with some of the major media outlets to be sure that the truth comes out as to what happened and how preventable this tragedy was. Our firm founder, Brent Coon, operates a national production company and knows how these events are supposed to be planned and why this one failed so needlessly. We are also working with a movie producer to help on a documentary that will be released in the next year that tells the whole story as well. Meantime, if you are a client in this case, be sure to save any video or camera shots from cell phones, any record of the ticket purchase, any hotel room or other costs incurred, and any medical bills and records.
Our firm has undertaken the lead role in this litigation, and we have filed almost 2000 claims for clients from around the country. This is more than 50% of all cases filed by all law firms. We were able to conduct inspections of the facility and obtain numerous concert documents in the days and weeks after the incident and we were able to get the Houston court system to consolidate all of the thousands of cases to one judge for uniform case development last month. Unfortunately, most of the defendants were able to get a stay filed on the litigation with the Texas Supreme Court to determine if there should be a stateside consolidation of the cases. It has been assigned to a judicial panel to make that determination. It may be a few months before that determination has been made and we are allowed to proceed again.
In the meantime, we have hired the best experts in the world on crowd control issues, we have filed restraining orders and document preservation orders against the defendants, and we are leading the effort to help the other plaintiff law firms organize our own discovery teams as part of the consolidation of cases. Our leading expert is working with the State of Texas in a separate investigation into the incident, and we are also working with some of the major media outlets to be sure that the truth comes out as to what happened and how preventable this tragedy was. Our firm founder, Brent Coon, operates a national production company and knows how these events are supposed to be planned and why this one failed so needlessly. We are also working with a movie producer to help on a documentary that will be released in the next year that tells the whole story as well. Meantime, if you are a client in this case, be sure to save any video or camera shots from cell phones, any record of the ticket purchase, any hotel room or other costs incurred, and any medical bills and records.
STATEMENT FROM BRENT COON, ATTORNEY AND CONCERT PROMOTER
Most of you have already heard about the tragedy of the Scott/Drake concert on November 5th at the Astrohall in Houston. There was very poor crowd control at an SRO event which invited a rush to the stage and ensuing bedlam. Eight attendees were crushed to death on the scene and dozens of others taken by ambulance for a variety of injuries. Many others were left untreated and/or traumatized. In this case, the incidence of crowd rush was VERY foreseeable and is something concert promoters are supposed to take into account in contingency planning. Gates, fences, adequate security and other crowd control platforms, etc. Knowledge and consideration of attendee demographics. Seating arrangements, traffic flow, forewarnings to artists and agents, pre-concert action items and meetings. Involvement with local medical and law enforcement personal as well as detailed security briefings. Communication systems at field, gate, stage and backstage levels.
How do I know all this? Because I AM a concert producer and promoter. My company, Coondog Productions, has been promoting shows of this nature for over 2 decades at venues across the country. In addition, I am a professional performer in a band that has opened for dozens of gold and platinum artists over the years. There were major planning failures at this event, and major execution failures. The results were catastrophic. Live Nation was the primary producer on this show. They have done many thousands of major events across the county and should have been much better prepared for these types of issues, particularly in light of the nature of the venue, size of the crowd, demographics of the crowd, and the historical patterns of behavior surrounding their lead artist, Travis Scott, who has a history of trying to work the crowd into a frenzy.
We are undertaking a lead role in the litigation and have filed our first lawsuits and requests for a TRO and an MDL assignment. I am not aware of a better case to be involved in right now. We have a great venue where we have an anchor office, there were 50,000 in attendance, and we have a very horrible list of failures clearly constituting negligence on the major parties associated to this event.
The issue of crowd compression and "stage rush" has been well known in the industry for decades. It was primarily for that reason and the risks inherent to it that most venues began steering away from SRO (standing room only) events, to assigned seating. Injuries and even fatalities were an all too frequent occurrence, as was noted in high profile mass fatality incidents like The Who concert at Riverfront Coliseum in Ohio in 1979, which helped change how the industry arranged for major artist events in large venues with many thousands of attendees. Same could be said of security with crowd control from lessons learned, like the Rolling Stones concert in 1969 which involved deaths in part to use of untrained security forces.
SRO events require an entirely different and higher degree of preparedness, and with the history involving Travis Scott, the invitation of a special guest like Drake, the fact that everyone was rusty in preparing for these types of events due to a 2-year shut down of such crowds and concerts due to Covid, set the stage for this type of tragedy. Everyone involved should have been aware of that and taken the additional precautions those circumstances would mandate. They clearly didn’t.
Most of you have already heard about the tragedy of the Scott/Drake concert on November 5th at the Astrohall in Houston. There was very poor crowd control at an SRO event which invited a rush to the stage and ensuing bedlam. Eight attendees were crushed to death on the scene and dozens of others taken by ambulance for a variety of injuries. Many others were left untreated and/or traumatized. In this case, the incidence of crowd rush was VERY foreseeable and is something concert promoters are supposed to take into account in contingency planning. Gates, fences, adequate security and other crowd control platforms, etc. Knowledge and consideration of attendee demographics. Seating arrangements, traffic flow, forewarnings to artists and agents, pre-concert action items and meetings. Involvement with local medical and law enforcement personal as well as detailed security briefings. Communication systems at field, gate, stage and backstage levels.
How do I know all this? Because I AM a concert producer and promoter. My company, Coondog Productions, has been promoting shows of this nature for over 2 decades at venues across the country. In addition, I am a professional performer in a band that has opened for dozens of gold and platinum artists over the years. There were major planning failures at this event, and major execution failures. The results were catastrophic. Live Nation was the primary producer on this show. They have done many thousands of major events across the county and should have been much better prepared for these types of issues, particularly in light of the nature of the venue, size of the crowd, demographics of the crowd, and the historical patterns of behavior surrounding their lead artist, Travis Scott, who has a history of trying to work the crowd into a frenzy.
We are undertaking a lead role in the litigation and have filed our first lawsuits and requests for a TRO and an MDL assignment. I am not aware of a better case to be involved in right now. We have a great venue where we have an anchor office, there were 50,000 in attendance, and we have a very horrible list of failures clearly constituting negligence on the major parties associated to this event.
The issue of crowd compression and "stage rush" has been well known in the industry for decades. It was primarily for that reason and the risks inherent to it that most venues began steering away from SRO (standing room only) events, to assigned seating. Injuries and even fatalities were an all too frequent occurrence, as was noted in high profile mass fatality incidents like The Who concert at Riverfront Coliseum in Ohio in 1979, which helped change how the industry arranged for major artist events in large venues with many thousands of attendees. Same could be said of security with crowd control from lessons learned, like the Rolling Stones concert in 1969 which involved deaths in part to use of untrained security forces.
SRO events require an entirely different and higher degree of preparedness, and with the history involving Travis Scott, the invitation of a special guest like Drake, the fact that everyone was rusty in preparing for these types of events due to a 2-year shut down of such crowds and concerts due to Covid, set the stage for this type of tragedy. Everyone involved should have been aware of that and taken the additional precautions those circumstances would mandate. They clearly didn’t.
Brent Coon Discusses a New Revelation about Astorworld Security
News Stories
02/11/22
Louis Tomlinson stopped his Washington concert so a fan could be carried out amid shoving and chaos - just three months after Astroworld tragedy
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10501439/Louis-Tomlinson-stops-concert-fan-carried-out.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10501439/Louis-Tomlinson-stops-concert-fan-carried-out.html
02/10/22
Kanye West Says Billie Eilish Insulted Travis Scott, Threatens to Pull Out of Coachella; Eilish Responds
https://variety.com/2022/music/news/kanye-west-billie-eilish-travis-scott-coachella-1235177896/
https://variety.com/2022/music/news/kanye-west-billie-eilish-travis-scott-coachella-1235177896/
How Hip-Hop Superstar Travis Scott Has Become Corporate America’s Brand Whisperer
https://www.forbesafrica.com/entertainment/2020/11/30/how-hip-hop-superstar-travis-scott-has-become-corporate-americas-brand-whisperer/
https://www.forbesafrica.com/entertainment/2020/11/30/how-hip-hop-superstar-travis-scott-has-become-corporate-americas-brand-whisperer/
02/06/22
Billie Eilish Stops Concert to Give Fan Inhaler, Shades Travis Scott
https://www.tmz.com/2022/02/06/billie-eilish-stops-concert-give-fan-inhaler-travis-scott-astroworld/
https://www.tmz.com/2022/02/06/billie-eilish-stops-concert-give-fan-inhaler-travis-scott-astroworld/
01/28/22
Travis Scott Fans Seemingly Faked Over 60,000 Signatures On A Petition For Him To Be Allowed To Perform At Coachella After He Was Removed From The Lineup Following The Astroworld Tragedy
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellendurney/travis-scott-petition-removed-after-60000-faked-signatures
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellendurney/travis-scott-petition-removed-after-60000-faked-signatures
01/17/22
FBI Joins Astroworld Investigation, Launches Website for Evidence Collection
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/fbi-joins-astroworld-investigation-launches-181836067.html
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/fbi-joins-astroworld-investigation-launches-181836067.html
01/07/22
Live Nation Gets Extension on Astroworld Report From Congressional Oversight Committee
https://variety.com/2022/music/news/live-nation-astroworld-congress-1235149281/
Live Nation Gets Extension on Astroworld Report From Congressional Oversight Committee
https://variety.com/2022/music/news/live-nation-astroworld-congress-1235149281/
12/06/21
Travis Scott asks judge to dismiss Astroworld Festival lawsuit
https://www.revolt.tv/article/2021-12-06/139115/travis-scott-astroworld-lawsuit-dismissal-request/
https://www.revolt.tv/article/2021-12-06/139115/travis-scott-astroworld-lawsuit-dismissal-request/
11/30/21
Travis Scott, Live Nation lawyer up after being hit with massive Astroworld lawsuits
https://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/Travis-Scott-Live-Nation-lawsuit-amount-16662698.php
https://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/Travis-Scott-Live-Nation-lawsuit-amount-16662698.php
11/24/21
Illinois families file lawsuit against Travis Scott, Live Nation
https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-families-file-lawsuit-against-travis-scott-live-nation
https://www.foxnews.com/us/illinois-families-file-lawsuit-against-travis-scott-live-nation
11/22/21
Astroworld Festival Security Guards Sue Travis, Live Nation & Others ... Claim They Handled Dead Body
www.tmz.com/2021/11/22/astroworld-security-guards-sue-travis-scott-claim-they-handled-dead-body/
www.tmz.com/2021/11/22/astroworld-security-guards-sue-travis-scott-claim-they-handled-dead-body/
11/18/21
How One of Live Nation’s Core Business Strategies Backfired at Astroworld
https://www.billboard.com/pro/astroworld-live-nation-business-strategy-backfired/
https://www.billboard.com/pro/astroworld-live-nation-business-strategy-backfired/
11/17/21
‘No exits, no lights, no air.’ Did Astroworld security failures put thousands at risk?
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/what-happened-Astroworld-deaths-travis-scott-16628214.php
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/what-happened-Astroworld-deaths-travis-scott-16628214.php
11/16/21
Harris County won't launch independent investigation into Astroworld disaster, despite Hidalgo's plea
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/astroworld-fest-tragedy/article/lina-hidalgo-astroworld-investigation-rejected-16625841.php
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/astroworld-fest-tragedy/article/lina-hidalgo-astroworld-investigation-rejected-16625841.php
Nike postpones release of Travis Scott's latest sneaker
https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/16/business/nike-cactus-jack-sneaker-delayed-release/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/16/business/nike-cactus-jack-sneaker-delayed-release/index.html
11/12/2121
70 minutes at Astroworld: A countdown to catastrophe
https://apnews.com/article/astroworld-festival-deaths-travis-scott-entertainment-houston-music-5628f631f335ea5d182852ba0116d2cc
https://apnews.com/article/astroworld-festival-deaths-travis-scott-entertainment-houston-music-5628f631f335ea5d182852ba0116d2cc
Travis Scott had no authority to stop concert, spokesperson says
https://www.yahoo.com/now/travis-scott-had-no-authority-154450496.html
https://www.yahoo.com/now/travis-scott-had-no-authority-154450496.html
Astroworld contract required only $1 million bodily injury insurance
https://www.khou.com/article/news/investigations/astroworld-contract-required-1-million-bodily-injury-insurance/285-08d9434c-1766-43a7-883e-05be5a45202d
https://www.khou.com/article/news/investigations/astroworld-contract-required-1-million-bodily-injury-insurance/285-08d9434c-1766-43a7-883e-05be5a45202d
People receiving Astroworld refunds could be waiving their right to sue the organizers, legal expert says
https://www.insider.com/legal-expert-warns-astroworld-refunds-could-negate-right-to-sue-2021-11
https://www.insider.com/legal-expert-warns-astroworld-refunds-could-negate-right-to-sue-2021-11
A crowd safety expert says the surge at Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival wasn't concertgoers' fault
https://www.insider.com/crowd-safety-expert-travis-scott-astroworld-festival-surge-prevention-2021-11?amp&utm_source=taboola
https://www.insider.com/crowd-safety-expert-travis-scott-astroworld-festival-surge-prevention-2021-11?amp&utm_source=taboola
Travis Scott’s new spokeswoman calls idea he could have stopped Astroworld ‘ludicrous’
https://nypost.com/2021/11/12/travis-scotts-new-spokeswoman-calls-idea-he-could-have-stopped-astroworld-ludicrous/
https://nypost.com/2021/11/12/travis-scotts-new-spokeswoman-calls-idea-he-could-have-stopped-astroworld-ludicrous/
Travis Scott wasn't told his Astroworld concert had become a 'mass casualty event' during his performance, his lawyer said
https://www.insider.com/travis-scott-wasnt-told-astroworld-mass-casualty-during-performance-lawyer-2021-11
https://www.insider.com/travis-scott-wasnt-told-astroworld-mass-casualty-during-performance-lawyer-2021-11
11/11/2021
Depth of chaos heard in HPD radio traffic
https://digital.olivesoftware.com/olive/odn/houstonchronicle/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=HHC%2F2021%2F11%2F11&entity=Ar00103&sk=F96250E6&mode=text#
https://digital.olivesoftware.com/olive/odn/houstonchronicle/shared/ShowArticle.aspx?doc=HHC%2F2021%2F11%2F11&entity=Ar00103&sk=F96250E6&mode=text#
VERIFY: Astroworld ticket refunds could affect attendees' chances to sue
https://www.khou.com/video/news/verify/verify-astroworld-ticket-refunds-may-waive-lawsuits/285-4fdbefa9-4407-4cea-9589-ffca7ce3cf44
https://www.khou.com/video/news/verify/verify-astroworld-ticket-refunds-may-waive-lawsuits/285-4fdbefa9-4407-4cea-9589-ffca7ce3cf44
11/10/21
How Travis Scott's Astroworld mosh pit dynamic may have enabled disaster
www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/how-travis-scott-s-astroworld-mosh-pit-dynamic-may-have-ncna1283662
www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/how-travis-scott-s-astroworld-mosh-pit-dynamic-may-have-ncna1283662
Police reported ‘multiple people trampled’ at Astroworld festival at 9:30 p.m., log shows. The performance went on for another 41 minutes.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2021/11/11/astroworld-radio-calls-firefighter-log/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2021/11/11/astroworld-radio-calls-firefighter-log/
Houston police chief debunks rumor about Astroworld security guard, who says he was not drugged but was hit on the head
https://www.insider.com/houston-police-say-astroworld-investigation-will-take-weeks-possibly-months-2021-11
https://www.insider.com/houston-police-say-astroworld-investigation-will-take-weeks-possibly-months-2021-11
The culture of Travis Scott is one of devotion - and chaos. At Astroworld, it turned deadly
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/astroworld-fest-tragedy/article/Raging-turns-to-panic-in-chaotic-Astroworld-16607452.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/astroworld-fest-tragedy/article/Raging-turns-to-panic-in-chaotic-Astroworld-16607452.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20
Travis Scott’s Attorney Rebukes ‘Inconsistent Messages’ in Astroworld Investigation
www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/travis-scott-attorney-rebukes-inconsistent-messages-astroworld-investigation-1256322/amp/
www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/travis-scott-attorney-rebukes-inconsistent-messages-astroworld-investigation-1256322/amp/
11/08/21
VIDEO: Concertgoers yelled for help during a deadly stampede at Travis Scott's Astroworld music festival
https://www.insider.com/videos-travis-scott-astroworld-concert-crowd-stampede-2021-11?amp&utm_source=taboola
https://www.insider.com/videos-travis-scott-astroworld-concert-crowd-stampede-2021-11?amp&utm_source=taboola
‘Felt A Little Off’: Denver Dad Recalls Moving From Front Of Stage With Son At Travis Scott Concert
https://denver.cbslocal.com/2021/11/08/denver-dad-son-concert-travis-scott/
https://denver.cbslocal.com/2021/11/08/denver-dad-son-concert-travis-scott/
Everything Travis Scott Did in the Houston During Astroweek, Leading up to Astroworld Festival
/www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/2021/visuals/travis-scott-astroweek-houston-charity-events/
/www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/2021/visuals/travis-scott-astroweek-houston-charity-events/