PITTSBURGH – A woman who attended a Shania Twain concert in Pittsburgh two years ago says a confrontation between intoxicated patrons several rows above her seats spilled over to her, where she was launched into metal seats and injured.
Janette Gamble of Vandergrift filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on July 13 versus AEG Management Pittsburgh, LLC and Pittsburgh Arena Operating, LP, both of Pittsburgh.
Gamble says she and her daughters went to the Shania Twain concert at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on July 17, 2018, being seated in Section 207 and Row J. Minutes later, an argument broke out between intoxicated patrons seated about seven rows behind Gamble.
“The argument escalated into a physical confrontation and one of the arguing patrons pushed the other forward, causing a chain reaction in which seven rows of patrons were forcibly and without warning, launched forward into Gamble, propelling her forward on to the hard metal seats in the rows in front of her. At no time did Gamble contribute in any way to the cause of the incident,” the suit states.
The suit states, among other things, that the defendants failed to provide a safe environment for Gamble to enjoy the concert and failed to defuse the conflict between the intoxicated patrons that later led to Gamble’s injuries.
As a result, Gamble alleges she suffered numerous injuries, including an injury to one of her lungs, a rotator cuff tear, spinal injuries, plus injuries and pain to her chest, abdomen, hip and legs.
For counts of negligence and premises liability, the plaintiff is seeking damages in excess of the jurisdictional limits of compulsory arbitration, plus court costs, interest, and such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and equitable, in addition to a trial by jury.
The plaintiff is represented by Joshua R. Guthridge of Robb Leonard Mulvihill, in Pittsburgh.
The defendants have not yet secured legal counsel.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-20-007573
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com