More than 4,900 people were injured in some capacity at the deadly Astroworld music festival, according to the latest tally by the attorneys representing victims. That’s a substantially higher total than previously claimed.
When the litigation over the disaster was combined into a single large lawsuit in late January, the attorneys involved listed 387 separate cases, with estimates of roughly 2,800 alleged victims. But “tag along” cases were expected, and one filing said new claims were “being filed nearly every day.”
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Several months later, it appears that the number of people who have made claims in the case has ballooned.
A new filing on Monday listed 4,932 total alleged victims. In addition to 10 people who died, the new filing said 732 claimed have been filed by people who needed “extensive medical treatment” and 1,649 who needed less extensive care. Another 2,540 were listed as “other,” meaning the extent of their injuries was still being reviewed.
The filing came from Jason Itkin, Richard Mithoff and Sean Roberts, three attorneys who have been appointed so-called liaison counsel for the plaintiffs, to coordinate the many lawyers, law firms and victims involved in the case. The defendants in the case, including promoter Live Nation and star performer Travis Scott, will likely dispute the totals later in the case.
Definitions for “extensive medical treatment” and other terms involved in Monday’s tally were not included in the filing. For instance, it’s unclear whether the “other” category involves those who suffered mental and emotional harm, like post-traumatic stress.
Live Nation and Scott are facing billions in potential liability over the crowd crush incident during the rapper’s Nov. 5 performance at the Houston festival. The cases accuse Astroworld’s organizers of being legally negligent in how they planned and conducted the event, resulting in one of the deadliest concert disasters in history.
The number of claims filed is significant because it could determine the total size of the settlement or damages award that is ultimately paid out to victims. In Monday’s filing, Itkin, Mithoff and Roberts said they would “continue to evaluate and update” the tally as the case moves forward.
Read the file here: