Premises Liability Claims from Injuries at IL Music Venues

 Posted on March 25, 2025 in Premises Liability

While attending a music event can be a fun, exciting experience, an unexpected hazard can turn your fun evening into a nightmare. For example, two people were recently hurt at Chicago’s Southwest Side when debris fell from the ceiling during a performance. The musical band Levity, which was performing at the time, called the incident a "freak accident."   

The result of that accident was that a 29-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman were taken to Stroger Hospital for cuts and other minor injuries. It was later determined that the falling object was a piece of wood attached to a steel frame. Accidents like this fall under premises liability claims.  If you have been injured at a music event as a result of negligence, contacting a Chicago, IL premises liability claims lawyer can ensure the best outcome.

Who Is Protected Under Premises Liability Laws?

Under Illinois law, property owners and managers are responsible for maintaining a safe environment. There are different levels of liability that depend on whether the person visiting the property is an invitee, a licensee, or a trespasser. An invitee is a person who has been specifically invited to enter the property for a lawful purpose. There are two types of invitees, including business invitees who lawfully enter the property to do business with the owner and public invitees who enter the property for the purpose for which the property is held open to the public, like a public park.

An invitee is also a neighbor or friend who has been specifically invited into the home of the property owner. A person at a musical event is considered an invitee. The liable party for business invitees is the business owner, and for public invitees, it is often a government agency. A licensee is a person who has the consent of the owner to be on the premises for the benefit of the individual or the owner. A construction company that is on the property to build the owner a garage would be considered a licensee.

A trespasser is a person who enters or remains on a property without permission and has few legal rights. Invitees are owed the highest duty of care, followed by licensees. Owners owe trespassers virtually nothing; however, they cannot deliberately place a hazard on the property to hurt trespassers. Owners of a swimming pool fall under attractive nuisance laws, which means they must ensure children cannot access the pool, or they could be liable for an accident.

What Could Cause Injuries at a Music Event?

Whether a person is at a music event or another type of public event, when an accident occurs because the premises have not been properly maintained or known safety issues have been ignored, the owner could be liable for injuries. Injuries in these situations may be caused by:

• Allowing too many people in a venue or failing to control the crowd.
• Allowing exits to be blocked
• Poor maintenance, such as wet floors, loose railings, and broken stairs, can result in slip-and-fall accidents.
• Failing to maintain the structural integrity of the building through issues like unstable scaffolding, falling debris, collapsed decks, or collapsing seating areas.
• Failing to have adequate security leaves the public at risk of assaults, fights, or crowd-related injuries.

How is Negligence Proven in a Premises Liability Claim?

A plaintiff must prove the property owner owed him or her a duty of care to maintain the property in a safe condition and that the duty of care was breached, directly resulting in injury. The plaintiff must then show that the injuries resulted from specific damages (medical expenses, lost wages, lost future wages, and pain and suffering). In some instances, there may be multiple parties liable for the injuries. At a music event, the liable party could be the venue owner, the security staff, or the concert organizer.

Contact a Chicago, IL Premises Liability Lawyer

If you have been injured on another’s property as a result of the owner’s negligence, you need solid legal assistance. When you speak to a Chicago, IL premises liability attorney from Winters Salzetta O'Brien & Richardson, LLC, you can be sure you will receive everything you need for a successful claim. Call 312-236-6324 to schedule a free consultation.