Crowd crushed at concert in San Jose, Costa Rica

Results Confidential

Attorney Goodman was contacted by an attorney in Costa Rica and asked to represent a dozen people who had been severely injured and one family whose son was killed at a concert in San Jose, Costa Rica. The internationally known rock band was based in Massachusetts, so Goodman filed suit in U.S. Federal District Court in Boston, Massachusetts against the band and then corporations, the band members, the manager, the security company and the promoter. Fans had lined up outside the soccer stadium waiting for the big wooden gates to open for the 7 pm concert. When the crew started testing microphones and instruments, a rumor spread that the concert would start early because of the light rain falling. People started moving forward. However, with the gates closed at the front, the people standing there were crushed by the crowd and then the gate collapsed and they were trampled upon sustaining severe injuries. Attorney Goodman took depositions all over the United States of the various defendants. The event violated the life safety code. Security and event planning was poor given the lack of seating. The number of tickets sold foretold the density of the crowd that could be expected. The crushing crowds surge and collapse causing innocent victims to be compressed was both foreseeable and avoidable. Planners signed off on a stadium event with no seating and a mosh pit. Eventually the federal judge transferred the case to Costa Rica. After several visits to San Jose to prepare the victims and their families, the case went to mediation in Costa Rica. Several months after the failed mediation attempt, as the trial date loomed closer, the various insurance companies put together a global settlement too enticing for the people to refuse, even though Goodman wanted to go to trial. The amounts were confidential. The clients were very satisfied to close this awful chapter in their lives after gross negligence of the event planners ruined their lives forever. Goodman took on these defendants to prove that for them it was all about making money and not much thought given to fan protection – another case of profits over people. Even rock music is a big corporate business.