Rhode Island nightclub fire settlement

Monday/September/22 11:11 Filed in: litigation
by Derek G. Rowley (c) 2008. All rights reserved.


LAS VEGAS - You will recall the tragic 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island that occurred when the rock band Great White set off fireworks in the club that ignited soundproofing foam, killing 96 and injuring over 200. I saw a news report that Clear Channel Communications, which owns a local radio station that helped promote the concert, recently settled for $22 million, even though they had nothing to do with the fire. Apparently Rhode Island’s “joint and several liability” laws allow for the liability to extend to anyone with the remotest connection to the event. Thus, JBL Speakers settled for $815,000 because their speakers contained flammable foam; Anheuser-Busch settled for $5 million and their local distributor for $16 million because their beer was sold at the nightclub; the manufacturer of the foam paid $16 million - even though their foam was not designed for the way it was being used; WPRI-TV paid $30 million because their cameraman’s equipment allegedly blocked an exit. WPRI was there to do a story on the fire dangers of nightclubs when the fire broke out.

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