The structural collapse attorneys at Denena & Points mention that you might remember that a deadly stage collapse brought on by a storm killed 5 people and injured dozens more at the Indiana State Fair on August 13, 011. Questions have since surrounded the conduct of the Sugarland band manager who is said to have argued against delay of the concert or evacuation as well as the competence of the company that assembled the stage and the conduct of State Fair officials in going forward with events during the storm and failing to have adequate safety procedures in place.
Our structural collapse attorneys note that two outside firms were hired to investigate the accident and issue reports on the causes behind the stage collapse as well as recommendations regarding additional safety precautions that could prevent a deadly structural collapse in the future. The two firms are Washington D.C.-based Witt Associates and a New York-based engineering firm, Thornton Tomasetti. According to Scott Nacheman of Thornton Tomasetti, Mid-America Sound, the company that built the collapsed stage, refused to provide information or interviews for their report.
Nacheman has said that the cause of the stage collapse was an “inadequate lateral system.” He blamed failure of the cables and other components holding the stage up. Nacheman clarified that much testing went into judgment of the integrity of the stage structure, including a wind analysis, laser beam measurement of components of the stage, and collection of weather data. Our structural collapse attorneys point out that wind speeds had reached 59 miles per hour at the time of the collapse. But the metal stage rigging did not meet requirements to withstand wind gusts of 68 mph.
Thornton Tomasetti also found that the wind had shifted barriers located around the stage. The barriers held the stage’s cables. And the shift redistributed the stage’s load, ultimately leading to the deadly and dramatic stage collapse. Thornton Tomasetti also said that Mid-America Sound was faulty in their construction of the stage. In addition, no professional inspectors were hired to evaluate the stage after construction.
The Associated Press reported that Witt Associates’ review of the State Fair’s emergency
plans found “an ambiguity of authority” resulted in confusion and uncertainty as officials discussed whether to postpone the concert. Additionally, the State Fair commission did not use emergency protocols in making their weather-related decisions. The report also concluded that the State Fair’s overall state of preparedness was not adequate for an event of the concert’s size and scope.
The State Fair commission, confronted with obvious evidence of failures, has voted to accept both investigative teams’ reports and to begin implementing their recommendations. Our structural collapse attorneys commend the State Fair for its efforts to prevent future disasters. Since the deadly stage collapse, the Indiana State Fair has already begun to implement changes in its severe weather and crowd control policies. During the 2012 Indiana State Fair, concerts will be held at off-site locations.
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels said that, “The State Fair Commission knows that we will insist on immediate and complete implementation of the recommendations in this report. But it’s also now clear that most, if not all states, have been deficient in this area and have much to learn from this tragedy. We will share freely all these findings and suggestions with any state who will listen, starting later this month at a national meeting in Indianapolis about national safety standards for outdoor temporary stages and structures. The meeting is being hosted here because of the State Fair accident.”
Our structural collapse attorneys understand that the Indiana State Fair commission has no real hope of escaping liability for the deadly stage collapse disaster. The Sugarland band manager might also be at fault in the tragedy. To learn amore about the deadly stage collapse and initial response to the tragedy, see our article on the event.