A serious punch at a Kid Rock concert at Darien Lake left a man with permanent injuries, resulting in a $150 million lawsuit.
As Jason McNeil, 44, of Birmingham, Alabama, and his wife, Pam, were leaving the Fourth of July concert last year, Craig Lawson of Ontario, Canada, ran up to McNeil and punched him in the head.
McNeil suffered a severe brain injury that has left him with trouble walking and talking, even a year after the unprovoked attack, of which he has no memory. McNeil is unable to ever work again
The Buffalo News reports McNeil’s family has filed a lawsuit against concert promoters and Darien Lake, alleging inadequate security measures. The lawsuit accuses Live Nation Inc., the company promoting the concert, and the other defendants of providing inadequate security and safeguards. It also claims the defendants did not follow appropriate policies on drinking at the event.
Court documents reveal that the Ontario man who struck McNeil had already attacked someone else and was ordered to leave the grounds. It was alleged that a security guard started to escort Lawson out of the concert but never took him all the way to the gate. Lawson allegedly returned to the center and apparently, mistaking McNeil for someone else, punched him in the head.
The suit claims Live Nation and Contemporary Services Corp., a national security company, were responsible for crowd control at the event
Lawson, who is a co-defendant in the lawsuit, was arrested after the July 5th incident and ultimately pleaded guilty to the assault. He was sentenced last month to a year in the Genesee County Jail.
McNeil and his wife are seeking $75 million in compensatory damages and another $75 million in punitive damages.
After several surgeries, the couple has returned to their home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The couple was visiting friends and family when the incident occurred. They have two young daughters.
The other defendants in the case are CNL Income Darien Lake, owners of the amusement park, as well as SMG Food and Beverage and Aramark Sports and Entertainment.
If you sustained injuries as a result of the negligence of others, you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. Contact Gacovino Lake & Associates at 1-800-246-HURT (4878) for more information.
