Rapper Travis Scott and venue operator Live Nation have settled lawsuits with nearly 100 plaintiffs who mounted personal injury claims related to the deadly 2021 Astroworld music festival days before a trial was set to begin in Houston.
Scott, Live Nation and venue operator SMG, a division of ASM Global Parent Inc., faced a trial Tuesday involving three bellwether plaintiffs whose injuries range from a collapsed lung to emotional distress. The so-called bellwether plaintiffs were chosen to proceed to trial first out of hundreds of plaintiffs who are bringing personal injury claims.
The settlement came after the Texas Supreme Court denied a petition from Live Nation trying to prevent the deposition of its CEO, Michael Rapino. Rapino’s deposition was scheduled to take place Monday in Los Angeles.
Two bellwether plaintiffs, Angel Dominguez and Elizabeth Martinez, reached confidential settlement agreements on Friday with Live Nation and Scott, whose real name is Jacques Bermon Webster II, attorneys for Martinez confirmed to The Texas Lawbook. The third plaintiff, Henry Nguyen, who also lodged claims against SMG, will have his trial rescheduled, according to court documents.
The settlements resolve the claims of about 100 plaintiffs out of the roughly 1,000 who lodged personal injury claims in the wake of the concert.
Lawyers for Nguyen, Dominguez and the defendants did not respond to requests for comment. Hundreds more plaintiffs who allege injuries from the concert are waiting for their trials.
Ten people died of compressive asphyxiation as the crowd surged toward the stage, squeezing people so tightly they could not breath. The youngest victim was 9-year-old Dallas boy Ezra Blount. The families of the dead have settled their lawsuits.
The number of tickets Scott and the venue operators sold exceeded the venue’s capacity, the lawsuits allege.
The Texas Lawbook is an online news publication focused on business law in Texas. For more on this and other legal news, visit texaslawbook.net.
