Woman Awarded $1.4 Million in Stage Diving Lawsuit

A New Jersey concertgoer who was seriously injured when the lead singer of the band Fishbone dove from a stage was recently awarded over one million dollars for her injuries.  Kimberly Myers went to a Fishbone concert in Philadelphia during February of 2010. While she was watching the show, Fishbone’s lead singer, Angelo “Dr. Madd Vibe” Moore dove off the stage. Moore landed on top of Myers, knocking her unconscious and inflicting several injuries including a broken skull and a broken collarbone.  Despite the damage, neither Moore nor the band stopped to see if Myers was okay. Following the incident, Myers filed a personal injury lawsuit against Moore, seeking damages for her injuries.

At trial, Moore testified about his actions.  Moore told the court that the band does not warn fans of when they plan to dive off the stage, that stage diving accidents are common at his band’s shows, and that this was not the first time the band had been sued due to this type of incident.  Based on Moore’s testimony, the judge found that Moore has not shown any remorse and has continued to stage dive despite the incident and other accidents in which spectators have been injured. Because of his lack of remorse, the damages assessed against Moore not only include compensatory damages, but also punitive damages.  The court awarded Myers a total of $1.4 million.

Although Moore received a favorable outcome in her lawsuit against, she is still suffering from complications related to her injuries. She also states that she has developed memory problems, chronic pain, and autoimmune problems that have led to lupus. In addition to her claims against Moore and the band, Myers also filed a lawsuit against the University of Pennsylvania, which hosted the event.  Her claims against the University were previously settled, however, and did not go to trial.

Source: http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/14m-woman-injured-pa-fishbone-stage-dive