Live Nation has settled a lawsuit filed by a concertgoer who suffered a traumatic brain injury during a fight at a 2022 Luke Bryan concert in Hartford, Connecticut.
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Gary Stanhope sued Live Nation Worldwide after the July 30, 2022, performance at Xfinity Theatre, now known as The Meadows. Stanhope alleged that the promoter failed to provide adequate security and crowd control during a prolonged altercation that preceded his injuries.
According to court records cited in reports about the case, a fight broke out between a man and a woman near an area known as “the rail.” The confrontation continued for several minutes before Stanhope intervened. Another man then struck Stanhope, knocking him onto concrete and leaving him unconscious.
Man Sues Live Nation For Not Intervening In Fight In Time
Stanhope alleged that the assault caused a traumatic brain injury and other lasting medical problems. His lawsuit accused Live Nation of failing to respond adequately despite previous fights and disturbances at the venue.
Live Nation disputed those allegations. The company said it had taken extensive security measures for the concert, including hiring 116 security personnel and 16 uniformed Hartford police officers. The promoter also said it screened patrons at entrances and briefed security personnel before the show.
The company argued that the attack resulted from a criminal act by a third party and that the assault happened too suddenly for security personnel to prevent it. Live Nation also challenged Stanhope’s account of the incident and noted his own admission that he had consumed alcohol and could not remember much of what happened.
A federal judge rejected Live Nation’s request to dismiss the lawsuit in May. U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall found that evidence about the crowd, the altercation and the security response could allow a jury to find that Stanhope’s injuries were foreseeable.
The ruling cleared the way for a trial, but the parties reached a settlement before a jury heard the case. They filed to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice in August. The settlement amount remains confidential, and Live Nation did not admit liability.