Concert Catastrophe Lawyer Andrew R. Duffy Available to Discuss Event Safety Following Houston Astroworld Crowd-Surge Deaths
Concert catastrophe lawyer Andrew R. Duffy, of Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, P.C., is available to discuss with the media the numerous legal, safety-related issues following the chaotic crowd surge at Houston’s Astroworld festival in which at least eight people were killed and hundreds injured.
Mr. Duffy is among Robert J. Mongeluzzi’s team of trial attorneys at SMB whose national practice includes representing victims of catastrophic mass-casualty accidents, among them spectators attending a wide range of large-scale events including music festivals and sporting events.
Regarding the horrific Houston Astroworld incident, Mr. Duffy said, “We are heartbroken over the senseless loss of life in Houston. This appears to be another tragic example where terror and devastation was predictable and preventable. While investigators probe all facets of event planning and staging, and question those responsible for insuring patron safety, we know from similar prior incidents that injury and the loss of life does not occur when performers and event organizers make safety their highest priority. Based on credible reporting to date, that was not the case in Houston and those responsible must be held accountable.”
“Saying you’re sorry is of no comfort to those loved ones who lost family members. Failing to urgently act to prevent a looming disaster – unfolding in clear view – is unforgivable and demands the full measure of justice. There is no reason why the performers and promoter should be allowed at any venue until their role in this disaster is fully determined.”
Robert J. Mongeluzzi
Mr. Duffy and the SMB team of trial lawyers in recent years has represented victims of the 2017 mass-casualty railing collapse – a crowd-surge incident that injured more than 50 concertgoers – at the BB&T Pavilion (Camden, NJ) at the Snoop Dogg High Road Tour concert. Other cases include the 2017 NFL Draft event on Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway in which a construction worker erecting the stage was seriously injured, and the bleacher collapse at the 1998 Army-Navy Game in Philadelphia that nearly killed an Army cadet.
Contacts:
Andrew R. Duffy / arduffy@smbb.com / 609-320-4919
Robert J. Mongeluzzi / rmongeluzzi@smbb.com / 215-850-6571
Steph Rosenfeld / steph@idadvisors.com / 215-514-4101