PITTSBURGH – A pair of defendants have been conditionally dismissed from litigation alleging that a Westmoreland County woman was injured at a music concert, when a long, fluorescent light bulb fell from the ceiling of the concert venue and landed on top of her head.
Andrea Johnson first filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on Jan. 3 versus Promowest Northshore Complex, LLC (doing business as “Stage AE”) of Pittsburgh, Anschutz Corporation of Denver, Colo. and Anschutz Entertainment Group of Los Angeles, Calif.
“On March 2, 2022, Andrea Johnson attended a music event at Stage AE. While Ms. Johnson was enjoying the music, suddenly and without warning, an object struck her on the head, and she heard glass breaking at the same time. Johnson was confused and asked others what happened, while noticing glass shards on the floor all around her,” the suit said.
“At around the same time, Stage AE employees approached Johnson, asking if she would like to give a ‘statement’ while others came to clean up the glass on the floor. The object that struck Johnson was a long, fluorescent light bulb that had fallen from a ceiling fixture that, despite its great height, was uncaged to protect from this type of event.”
The suit added that after several minutes, Johnson’s head and neck began to ache and she and her companion chose to leave the venue, providing a statement on the events to the venue’s office on their way out.
“Afterwards, Johnson’s companion took her to the hospital, where providers found a hematoma on her scalp during evaluation, and she discharged with a plan to follow up with a neurologist if she continued to have headache and concussion symptoms. As a result of the defective condition of the defendants’ premises, Johnson has suffered severe and serious physical injuries to her muscles, bones, ligaments, tissue and brain,” the suit stated.
The suit continues that the defendants failed to properly install and secure the light bulb in question, or protect it from falling onto venue patrons below, such as the plaintiff.
UPDATE
According to the terms of a joint stipulation filed by counsel for all parties on March 1, the Anschutz defendants were dismissed from the case without prejudice.
“It is hereby stipulated and agreed that all claims against defendants Anschutz Corporation and Anschutz Entertainment Group are discontinued and dismissed without prejudice. It is further hereby stipulated and agreed that defendants Anschutz Corporation and Anschutz Entertainment Group are to be removed from the docket and caption of the case, and the only remaining named defendant on the docket is Promowest Northshore Complex, LLC (doing business as “Stage AE”), the stipulation stated.
For multiple counts of negligence, the plaintiff is seeking compensatory damages in excess of the jurisdiction of the Board of Arbitrators of this Court.
The plaintiff is represented by Ernest J. Pribanic of Pribanic & Pribanic, in White Oak.
The Anschutz defendants were represented by Annabelle L. Carone of Dickie McCamey & Chilcote, in Pittsburgh.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-23-000034
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com