A Texas-based attorney has filed a massive, $2 billion lawsuit against Travis Scott and other entertainers after a deadly crowd-crush incident occurred at the Astroworld Festival.According to Complex, the lawsuit was filed by Texas attorney Thomas J. Henry.Henry is seeking $2 billion in damages from rapper Travis Scott, Drake, Live Nation Entertainment, NRG Stadium, and Apple Music.The lawsuit, says Complex, was filed on behalf of 282 victims—both people who were injured in the incident, or who lost loved ones when the crowd-crush turned deadly.An estimated 300 people were treated for injuries after the event; 25 required hospitalization, and eight died at the scene.Two other people, including a 9-year-old boy and a young Texas A&M student, died from their injuries in the weeks after Astroworld.In a statement announcing the lawsuit, Henry said that the defendants chose to implement cost-cutting measures that reduced safety standards at Astroworld.Specifically, the complaint said that event organizers arranged the venue in such a way as to accommodate Apple Music’s live-streaming service.

A gavel. Image via Wikimedia Commons via Flickr/user: Brian Turner. (CCA-BY-2.0).

“Early reports from the investigation of the Astroworld catastrophe indicate that the premises were arranged in a fashion that best served Apple’s online streaming of the concert at the detriment to concertgoer safety,” the lawsuit states.“Apple Music had cameras, camera stands, cameramen, and metal barriers surrounding each; these cameras effectively split the premises both horizontally and vertically by the metal barricades,” the complaint claims. “The placement of cameras streaming for Apple Music’s broadcast effectively limited many concertgoers’ means of exit; this dangerous condition would inevitably prevent individuals from dispersing.”Henry said that, even though the defendants knew they could make a lot of money off the concert, they still did away with important safety features that could have saved lives."The defendants stood to make an exorbitant amount of money off of this event, and they still chose to cut corners, cut costs, and put attendees at risk," Henry said in a statement. "My clients want to ensure the defendants are held responsible for their actions, and they want to send the message to all performers, event organizers, and promoters that what happened at Astroworld cannot happen again."Speaking to Hollywood Life, Henry explained that his clients sustained a wide variety of injuries, from broken bones to heart attacks.While some of his clients have since recovered, Henry said they will carry the emotional burden with them for the rest of their lives."Those who were injured are still very traumatized because they had to step over dead bodies," he said. "They didn’t have a choice because there was nowhere to move. These people were trapped. The crushing effect was so heavy and so hard. They couldn’t breathe. They couldn’t get out."

Sources

$2 Billion Lawsuit Filed Against Travis Scott, Drake, and Astroworld Fest Organizers Following TragedyTravis Scott, Drake, Apple and Live Nation Facing New $2 Billion Astroworld Lawsuit