Who Is Responsible if I Get Hurt at an Entertainment Venue?

Crowds of spectators flock to the Philadelphia area to enjoy live entertainment all year long. Many different venues host music concerts and a variety of events in both indoor and outdoor space, even more so in the summer months. Stadiums, arenas, and even municipal sports facilities are regularly packed with cheering fans of all ages. The question is, how many people get injured at an entertainment venue.

These events are meant to be fun experiences for the families and friends in attendance. Unfortunately, as more people return to enjoy these live events, the risk of sustaining an injury rises as well. Venue owners, managers, and other parties have a legal duty to keep these properties safe from foreseeable dangers.

Entertainment and sporting event properties require routine safety checks and regular maintenance due to the large crowds they regularly host. Property owners and managers must take regular care to inspect both the indoor and outdoor areas of their property for dangerous conditions that could injure patrons.

It is not always the conditions of a property that make it hazardous, however, but rather the other spectators and visitors. Concert and stadium security also have a duty to properly control and monitor spectators. Inebriated or unruly fans can get out of control in the stands or parking lots, leading to accidents, fights, and opportunity for crime. When property owners fail to provide proper security and people are harmed, the venue, its managers, and security company may all be held responsible.

Parties that can be held liable in lawsuits based on premises liability include:

• Venue owners.
• Property managers.
• Managing corporations.
• Security companies.
• Construction crews.
• Independent contractors.
• Individual vendors.
• Municipalities.

What Are Common Event Venue Hazards?

Entertainment and sporting events come with a unique set of challenges because of the large number of people they draw. On top of the spectator crowds, there are crews of people responsible for setting up and tearing down the stages, working with big pieces of equipment, and other components of the show or game. Many vendors also come to events to sell food, drinks, T-shirts, and other merchandise.

Venue owners and others responsible for these events should regularly inspect the property for hazards that can harm the public, such as:

• Poor lighting: Both indoor and outdoor events require adequate lighting to keep patrons safe. A venue with poor lighting in its stairwells or parking lot is more likely to attract criminal activity that can harm innocent patrons. It can also lead to slip and fall accidents.
• Broken stairs and steps: The majority of venues are multi-level with heavily trafficked steps and stairwells. These areas need to be well-maintained and regularly inspected to prevent a variety of possible injuries from a dangerous fall.
• Leaking pipes or flooded floors: When floors get wet and are not immediately tended to, it puts patrons at risk for a slip and fall with serious injuries. Whether caused by faulty pipes or a spilled beverage, any slippery condition is hazardous and requires warning signage and timely cleanup.
• Missing handrails or safety banisters: Missing or broken safety guards are an extreme hazard at any kind of venue. Eventgoers should be able to trust they can rely on handrails on steps or safety banisters on balconies to prevent catastrophic falls from a great height.
• Broken seats or bleachers: All venues have various forms of seating that, when broken or unstable, can cause injuries ranging from cuts to bone fractures. Property managers and maintenance workers have a responsibility to fix or replace broken seats in a reasonable amount of time after learning of the hazard.
• Inadequate security: Proper security is critical at events that host large and rowdy crowds. This includes proper crowd control, emergency exit access, and protection against crimes committed on or around the venue property.

What Are Common Injuries That Occur at Concerts and Sporting Events?

Getting injured at an entertainment venue is not as uncommon as it seems. Every event venue has its own hazards that can potentially result in trip and fall accidents, crimes committed against innocent bystanders, and other dangers that can lead to serious injuries. Children are particularly vulnerable to injuries at sporting events. Adults are more at risk at concerts or other events where alcohol is served, especially when there is a lack of proper security.

Common injuries that can be sustained at indoor and outdoor concerts or sporting events include:

• Concussions and other head injuries.
• Neck and back injuries.
• Cuts and lacerations.
• Burn injuries.
• Eye injuries.
• Broken bones and fractures.
• Muscle sprains and strains.
• Spinal cord injuries.
• Traumatic brain injuries.

Galfand Berger LLP Can Help You With Your Premises Liability Case

If a person gets hurt because of hazards on someone else’s property, they can sue for damages based on negligence. Compensation that can be recovered in premises liability cases includes current and ongoing medical expenses, lost wages, medical treatment, and pain and suffering. In cases where someone loses their life because of a dangerous property condition, their family members can file a lawsuit for wrongful death against the responsible parties.

Our attorneys at Galfand Berger LLP have recovered millions in settlements and jury verdicts for clients who were injured due to hazardous property conditions:

• $700,000 for Elevator injury: Our client suffered knee, neck, and back injuries after stepping out of an elevator that mis leveled. The building owner was aware the elevator had been malfunctioning but kept it in service.
• $500,000 settlement for eye injury: Our client was a 14-year-old boy who suffered permanent injuries when he was struck in the eye by a pellet at a paintball facility. Our client was standing behind safety netting that should have protected him from stray paintball pellets being fired during a game on the adjacent field. A stray pellet came through the net and caused our client to suffer permanent vision damage in his left eye. Our investigation revealed that the paintball facility’s safety netting was in poor condition with numerous holes. Galfand Berger LLP was able to recover a $500,000 settlement for our injured client.
• $400,000 for an amusement park injury: Our 45-year-old client was injured when he slipped and fell at a popular Pennsylvania amusement park while attempting to exit a ride that had made an emergency stop.  The client was attempting to access the emergency stairway, which was over twenty feet in the air, when he slipped on a wet surface causing him to aggravate injuries to his neck that would later require surgery.

Philadelphia Premises Liability Lawyers at Galfand Berger LLP Provide Skilled Counsel to Those Injured at an Entertainment Venue

If you or someone you love was injured at a entertainment venue, concert or sporting event, our Philadelphia premises liability lawyers at Galfand Berger LLP can help. We work on a contingency basis, which means you pay nothing until we win a financial award. Our legal team can take care of the details and advocate on your behalf. To schedule a free initial consultation, call us at 800-222-USWA (8792) or contact us online. Located in Philadelphia, Reading, Bethlehem, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, we serve clients in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including Allentown and Harrisburg.