What To Do If You Have Been Injured At A Concert In California?

Mar 27,2024

Crowd is enjoying live performance at open air summer festival at night. Nightlife. Silhouettes of people are standing in the dark and listening to electro music at concert. There are orange lights.

Attending live events, such as a concert, standup comedy routine, or play, is a popular and enriching pastime, giving you the chance to see your favorite performers and spend time with others. The venue is responsible for taking reasonable steps to protect you and the other attendees from harm—e.g., by having security patrol the area and provide adequate water and shade in the heat. When their actions fall short of what they should have done, you may wonder what to do if you have been injured at a concert in California.

Claims against venues or ticket providers can invoke a complex web of different liability rules, including the waiver on your ticket, personal injury laws, and the specific situation in which you were hurt. Our experienced attorneys have vast and comprehensive knowledge of these shifting regulations and legal processes involved in helping a person recover their losses. We could leverage our significant resources and skills to help craft a legal strategy that maximizes your best interests and chances of securing a favorable outcome.

Common Ways Concertgoers Get Hurt

Because of the many moving parts in these operations, concerts are a source of many potential accidents as people travel to and from the event or enjoy the festivities. For example, an overexcited patron may spill their beverage on the concrete floor at an indoor concert, leading to another guest to slip and fall on it unknowingly. Likewise, a partygoer swept away by the music may inadvertently drop their belongings—such as a bottle or can—putting others at risk of tripping over this item and twisting their ankle.

Venues must also take steps to protect concertgoers from things like getting crushed, trampled, or killed in a stampede or hospitalized because of a heat stroke. For example, they should have clear exits in terms of location and how to get to them. Additionally, those working at the event should be sure to keep adequate supplies of water and shade and have accessible restrooms, especially for outdoor concerts during the summer heat.

The venue is also in charge of employing adequately trained and vigilant security guards and (in some situations) medics on-site to address crime and unexpected health concerns. Along these lines, the organization should keep well-stocked urgent medical equipment on hand (such as a defibrillator or first aid kit) in multiple locations so that medics have the tools to treat someone who falls ill and needs immediate help to, for example, restart their heart. When a California venue makes a mistake that hurts an unsuspecting guest, our personal injury lawyers could step in and help make things right for the victim and their family.

Unique Considerations When Someone Is Injured at a Venue

A person who is injured at a concert should be aware of a few special considerations with the potential to change how they acquire a settlement, from whom, and whether they have the option to do so. At these events, it is common for many different vendors to operate at the same location—e.g., food and drink providers, merchandise sellers, and security personnel. Each of these merchants likely has a separate contract with the musician and venue, which might restrict what kinds of harm they are liable for.

Additionally, the specific context in which a person is hurt informs who is or may be legally and financially responsible for the fallout. For example, a patron who slips and falls while on the dance floor may have a claim against the venue (rather than the artist). In contrast, a situation where a guest gets severe food poisoning that requires them to undergo treatment in an inpatient hospitalization setting might call for a different result.

Additionally, ticket providers may require the patron to waive some—but usually not all—of their rights as a condition of attending the concert. As a result, this might limit the compensation ordinarily available to the person under California Civil Code § 3333. Our attorneys regularly handle these types of complex personal injury lawsuits and could help an injured concertgoer determine their available avenues of recourse.

Hurt at a Concert? Our Attorneys Could Help You Seek Justice

When what should have been a fun and memorable night of music and dancing turns into hospital stays and unbearable pain or disorientation that keeps you from spending time with your family or earning a living, personal injury laws provide you with a way to move forward. If you can prove another person or institution—such as the venue, a vendor, or a patron—made a mistake that harmed you, you may be able to file a lawsuit to hold them accountable.

You do not have to navigate this situation alone. Our team of lawyers at Walter Clark Legal Group could help you understand what to do if you have been injured at a concert in California and prepare you to take steps to claim compensation. Reach out today to schedule a free, confidential consultation with one of our trusted legal professionals.