Injured fans sue Live Nation, Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa

PHILADELPHIA — Fourteen concertgoers and three employees injured during a Snoop Dogg concert in Camden on Aug. 5 say the sudden collapse of a metal railing at the BB&T Pavilion could have been prevented, according to a lawsuit filed on their behalf Wednesday in Philadelphia's Common Pleas court.

Named in the suit are Live Nation, the venue operator and event promoter, along with the headlining artists, Calvin Broadus Jr., also known as Snoop Dogg, and Cameron Thomaz, also known as Wiz Khalifa. National Event Services, an event staffing company, also was named in the suit.

Midway through the concert, the two rappers moved to a second stage below the lawn bordered with a metal railing. Snoop Dogg urged fans on the lawn to move "down here" toward the stage. Many did and the railing gave way. More than 40 people fell at least six feet below onto a concrete walkway.

Railing collapse at Snoop Dogg concert injures 42 fans

The plaintiffs' injuries included six concussions, two head wounds that required staples, broken bones in the wrist and feet, a broken collarbone, a broken vertebrae, torn tendons and ligaments, cuts and bruises.

One of the plaintiffs, a security officer, was standing under the railing when it snapped. He suffered a broken back and will need a second operation. One college student will miss her sports season due to a concussion. Another will start college while wearing a boot.

Thirteen of the 17 plaintiffs live in New Jersey. They are asking for a jury trial.

"Our clients, and many others who attended the concert, were seriously injured because of the negligent conduct of the defendants who failed miserably in their duty to protect the audience and workers from harm," said trial lawyer Robert J. Mongeluzzi, who led a news conference Wednesday at his firm's offices at One Liberty Place.

Because the second stage was below the lawn's crowd, fans needed to move forward to see the performers. There were no barricades, seats or aisles preventing the crowd from surging forward, Mongeluzzi said.

Within 24 hours of the accident, a barricade was erected in front of a new fence. Live Nation also said it would bring in structural engineers to investigate, noted Andrew R. Duffy, one of the lawyers representing the victims.

"That is far too little, far too late," Duffy said. "What happened here should have been prevented. ... The majority of the people fell head first. That could have been catastrophic."

The artists urged people to come forward "literally into a trap," said Steven G. Wigrizer, whose firm represents some of the victims.

The lawyers said the BB&T accident is similar to a railing collapse in 1998 during the Army-Navy Game at Veterans Stadium. Mongeluzzi's client in that personal injury lawsuit settled for $1.05 million.

Representatives for Live Nation, the artists and a security company named in the suit could not be reached immediately for a response.

Follow Kim Mulford on Twitter: @CP_KimMulford