Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa Sued After Railing Collapse
By Robyn Collins
(RADIO.COM) – A lawsuit has been filed against Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa, as well as the owner of BB&T Pavilion stemming from the collapse of a security barrier at their August 5 concert in Camden, New Jersey, reports Rolling Stone.
On Wednesday, August 24th, lawyers representing 17 of the people injured at the show filed suit in Philadelphia.
"The safety of patrons at concerts must always be paramount," attorney Robert J. Mongeluzzi says in a statement. "The failure of this railing at the concert venue was caused by a failure in planning and execution. A second stage was located beneath a lawn area with no seat or aisles, leading to crowd surge when Snoop Dogg screamed, 'Everybody in the motherf—— lawn, bring your ass down here.'"
Mongeluzzi says two primary factors led to the collapse: "a dangerous location of the second stage beneath the uncontrolled lawn area with no barricades controlling crowd flow" and "the artist screaming for fans to surge to the area, which they did."
The lawsuit blames the accident on lack of proper precautions to ensure the safety of concertgoers. Mongeluzzi says his clients are seeking monetary compensation. The 17 plaintiffs include 14 ticket holders and three workers, one of which reportedly fractured his spine.
Fifty people fell ten feet onto a concrete surface when the safety barrier at the concert collapsed when fans tried to get closer to the stage. In total, 42 were injured.
Live Nation, which operates the BB&T Pavilion, reportedly announced after the event that it had "secured" the collapsed section of railing. In a statement, the company said it was consulting with authorities and structural engineers to determine what caused the collapse.
Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa's "The High Road Tour" runs through the Concord Pavilion on Sunday, August 28th and concludes September 2nd in Auburn, Washington.
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