Chicago Concert, Club & Sporting Event Injury Attorneys

People go to bars, clubs, concert venues, and sporting events to have a good time and to be entertained. People and corporations that own and run these places of entertainment do so to earn a profit and they charge customers money for the services that they provide. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that, but in exchange for the money that owners receive, they are legally obligated to provide some things in return. First, they need to provide the entertainment or performances which have been promised. But in addition, they also must do their best to provide a safe environment. When a customer is injured or killed because of a failure to do so, a lawsuit may be filed to recover money damages on behalf of the injured customer or client.

Since 1990, the experienced Chicago concert, club, and sporting event injury attorneys at Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC have recovered millions of dollars for our injured clients and families. No fees are ever charged unless we are successful and consultations are always free. We can be reached 24 hours a day at (312) 243-9922.

Causes of Concert Event Injuries

When you’re eating lunch at a fast-food restaurant or shopping at the local grocery store you reasonably expect that you’ll remain safe and uninjured during your visit. Club visitors and concert-goers are owed the same duty by those in charge of their event. But sometimes, in the pursuit of higher profits and greater attendance figures, those in charge fail to maintain the proper standards of safety and injuries do occur. Some of the main causes of such injuries and deaths include:

Violation of health codes, fire codes, or building codes.
Failure to maintain proper employee staffing for crowd size.
Failure to regularly inspect the property for any hazardous conditions.
Failure to provide proper employee safety training.
Failure to conduct adequate criminal background checks and screenings on employees.
Over-service of alcohol to a customer who then injures another (this is called “dram shop” liability).
Failure to properly secure tents or other structures from high winds and bad weather.
Inadequate interior or exterior lighting.
Failure to provide enough security or properly trained security guards.
Failure to properly control crowds or limit the number of people in certain areas.
Failure to screen or search visitors for guns, weapons, and drugs.
Malfunction of elevators, escalators, revolving doors, or loose guard rails.
Failure to properly post warning signs at hazardous or restricted locations.
Failure to provide sanitary food preparation.
Failure to create a properly detailed emergency plan.
Failure to properly supervise firework or pyrotechnic concert displays.
Failure to monitor “crowd surfing,” “stage diving,” or “mosh pit/moshing” activities.
Existence of potholes, snow, or ice in parking lots; wet, slippery, or uneven floors; or worn carpeting leading to slips and falls.

Types of Concert Event Injuries

Whether you’re attending a sports arena, concert, race track, theater, night club, or any other entertainment venue, crowds will almost always be present. So it goes without saying that event promoters must plan ahead for crowd control and ensure that all facilities are in working order and safe for use. When owners, security companies, or promoters fail to do so, accidents happen, including:

Being crushed, trampled, stepped on, asphyxiated, or impaled due to uncontrolled crowds.
Falling from a balcony or railing that gives way due to improper construction, overloading, or excess weight; which may then lead to neck injuries, back injuries, or broken bones.
Being assaulted by aggressive bouncers; bar fights due to inadequate security or over-serving; or sexual assaults due to lack of security or inadequate lighting.
Being shot or killed due to a failure of security to screen or search for weapons on patrons.
Being burned due to unattended candles, unsupervised fireworks or pyrotechnics, or overloaded electrical outlets.
Slipping or falling due to spilled drinks, fallen garbage, angled ramps, or crowded stairwells; this may lead to traumatic brain injury or spinal injury.
Being struck by thrown objects or projectiles due to lack of fencing, nets, or inadequate supervision.

The Concert Insurance Company May Try to Blame You

When an injury or death happens at an entertainment venue (depending on the specific circumstances), a lawsuit may be filed against the owner of the property, the security company, a particular contractor, and/or the performers (such as the musical artist or sports team). But regardless of who is being sued, you can be assured that their insurance companies won’t be interesting in agreeing to any quick or easy settlements.

Typically, the insurance company lawyers will instead allege that the injured or deceased person gave away his or her right to sue them based upon a legal concept called “assumption of risk.” This concept tries to shift the blame to the customer, making him or her responsible for injuries because he or she chose to attend what was a “potentially dangerous event.” The insurance company lawyers will usually point to warnings written on the back of the tickets to support their argument.

Although many people might be deterred from filing a lawsuit because of the language on that ticket, experienced personal injury attorneys such as those at Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC know the best ways to fight back against these insurers and obtain successful results.

Successfully Filing an Entertainment Event Injury Case

After an injury or death has occurred at an entertainment venue, the steps a victim takes in the days immediately afterwards are critical in determining whether a successful claim can be filed. It is generally suggested that one should:

Seek immediate medical attention: For most events, the venue will have basic medical facilities on site staffed by a doctor or nurse. If the injury isn’t that severe, you can seek treatment at such a location. Otherwise, you should call 911 for ambulance transportation to the nearest hospital.
Collect evidence and documentation: Tickets stubs, photographs, videos, name of witnesses, and medical bills will all be valuable pieces of evidence for a potential claim.
Don’t talk to strangers: Other than medical providers, don’t discuss the specifics of the accident with any representatives of the venue, especially their insurance adjusters, as they generally don’t have your best interests in mind. Your attorney can do all the talking on your behalf later.
Contact a qualified lawyer right away: Specific time limits apply to the filing of these lawsuits and a lawyer can advise you of any deadlines that must be met. An experienced legal team such as Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC can also immediately conduct an investigation to preserve additional evidence before it’s lost or destroyed. Sometimes, the evidence that we uncover is the key to a successful case. If you choose to have our firm file a claim on your behalf, it will likely be based upon one of these legal theories:
- Negligence: A claim that alleges the accident happened because the other party was careless, reckless, or inattentive in conducting their business and as a result an injury or death occurred.
- Product liability: A claim that alleges the accident happened because a manufacturer defectively designed, produced, or marketed a product, such as seats or bleachers that collapsed.
- Premises liability: A claim that alleges that the accident happened because those responsible didn’t keep the property in a safe and hazard-free condition.
- Wrongful death: A claim that alleges that death occurred due to negligent acts, reckless acts, or a failure to act on the part of those responsible.

Speak to Our Experienced Legal Team

For more than 25 years, our experienced attorneys have fought on behalf of clients and their families to achieve justice in the most difficult of situations. The billion-dollar corporations that own entertainment venues will often fight hard to avoid paying out money damages. But the aggressive attorneys affiliated with Sexner Injury Lawyers LLC have shown that they can fight even harder. As a result, many millions of dollars have been recovered for our clients and their families since 1990.

So call us 24 hours a day for free information about how we may be able to help you. No fees are ever charged to discuss your case, and if you choose to hire us, no legal fees will ever be charged unless we are successful on your behalf. That’s our promise to you. Call us now at (312) 243-9922.

Additional Information

Did a Business Fail to Keep You Safe As a Customer?
(745 ILCS 38/) Baseball Facility Liability Act.