Live Performance: Overcrowding And Its Risks

The Dangers Of Packing Live Performances

To prevent dangerous situations at live performances, event planners and organizers will typically take steps to ensure that:

• Entering and exiting the venue is safe and in accordance with the law
• Disorder and violence are dealt with effectively and legally
• Threats are relatively quick to identify
• Crowds can be controlled

However, when overcrowding occurs, each of these tasks becomes difficult. This is why the risk of suffering a crowd control event injury can rise significantly at live performances when a venue’s capacity has been exceeded.

Some of the common dangers related to overcrowding in these venues include:

Tramplings

Tramplings are among the primary concerns at live venues. Many safety protocols and measures are devoted to preventing people from falling and getting trampled. Though overcrowding occurs, these measures are largely ineffective as people struggle against one another. 

One frightening aspect of overcrowding is that it prevents venue owners and security from policing the crowd and the facilities for developing dangers. Even when a developing danger is identified, dealing with it becomes exponentially challenging with an overcrowded venue. 

Crushing Against Or Between

Crowds exert significant force — enough to render individual movements nearly useless. Crowd sways, for example, trap many individuals in inevitable waves of force. Those concertgoers who happen to be next to a hard place, such as a wall, can be crushed by a crowd wave. Individuals may also be crushed between two waves of powerful crowd motion. 

Violence

Violence can mar any concert event, yet it is almost unavoidable when concert venues get overcrowded. Tempers can flare much more easily when people have less room to move than they should. Although individuals are liable for their acts of violence, the concert organizers and others may also be liable for overstuffing the venue.

In certain instances, the security response to an incident in an overcrowded concert might necessitate using reasonable force. However, security staff are humans and may fall under the sway of emotion and use excessive force during a situation. If so, they and their employers or contractors can face liability. 

Falls From Heights

Overcrowding in certain events breeds a risk of falling from heights. Stadium seating, for example, presents a significant risk when overcrowding occurs. 

Crowd sways and the like send concertgoers falling down stairs or off the sides of bleachers or stadium seating. In some cases, overloaded seating in upper seats or balconies can lead to structural collapses.

Overloaded Basic Facilities

Keeping concertgoers reasonably safe means providing adequate basic facilities, such as:

• Bathrooms
• First-aid or medical care
• ADA-compliant features
• Security

These services easily become overloaded in an overcrowded stadium or concert hall, and the risk of harm rises significantly. Enough bathrooms, for example, must be present to address the legal capacity of the venue hall. When too many people are allowed to enter, bathrooms can rapidly fail, and health issues can arise.

Accidents With Moving Vehicles

All types of moving vehicles may be present at a concert, including:

• Electric carts
• Equipment trucks
• Food trucks
• Party trucks
• Bicycles
• Motor vehicles

At an overloaded concert, concertgoers can spill over into vehicle travel paths, and vehicle operators might find themselves maneuvering around concertgoers where none should be. Vehicle warning sounds, such as reverse warnings, can go unperceived in the roar of the crowd. Ultimately, someone is bound to get hurt by a vehicle in circumstances like these.

Who Is To Blame?

When an accident occurs at a concert due to overcrowding, one or more of the following parties may be to blame:

• Event organizers and planners
• The venue owner
• The security company
• Event and security staff
• Concertgoers
• Performers

Generally, concertgoers and performers are not responsible for overcrowding. They do not control the comings and goings into and out of the event. However, while a venue is overcrowded, guests and performers can commit negligent or unlawful acts that can result in them facing damages. 

Consider an overcrowded concert where tempers are flaring. If a concertgoer gives in to their urge to punch someone, they can be sued for an intentional tort. Likewise, a performer who launches their guitar into an overcrowded audience can be sued for injuries as well, even though they were not responsible for the overcrowding. 

What Should I Do If I Have Been Injured At A Live Performance In Las Vegas?

If you were injured at a live performance in Las Vegas, you have likely already sought medical attention. If not, you will want to do so as soon as possible to stabilize your injuries and create a record of the harm. 

The next step would involve seeking compensation for various losses attributable to your injuries, such as:

• The financial impact of medical and hospital bills
• The devastation caused by loss of work and future employment
• The weight of the expenses associated with your injuries
• The physical pain and suffering you experience
• The impact of other intangible losses

Punitive damages may also be proper in cases involving willful or reckless behavior. 

The longer you wait, the weaker your case might become. Evidence can weaken or disappear as time goes on. For example, valuable security footage is erased after a time, and witnesses become extremely difficult to locate. Their statements also become more unreliable the further away from the accident. 

Meeting with an event injury attorney as soon as reasonably possible after an injury will help ensure you have a strong case. It will also get you the compensation you deserve sooner rather than later. 

Although you may receive an offer of compensation from an insurance company, make sure to consult with a lawyer before accepting it. It is likely that you are owed more money than what is contained in the offer. An experienced injury attorney can properly evaluate your claim and give you a better idea of what you deserve. 

Protect Your Claim Today

If you have been harmed at an overcrowded concert, acting quickly is vital. Without swift action, your right to file a claim may expire under the state’s statute of limitations, which is two years from the date of the occurrence. 

The seasoned team at Adam S. Kutner, Injury Attorneys, has safeguarded the rights of injury victims throughout Las Vegas for more than 33 years. Let us fight to obtain the justice you deserve.