Indiana payout limited to five million for collapse victims

Indiana payout limited to five million for collapse victims
Horrified onlookers stand helpless as 70mph winds tackled the stage at the state fair. Flickr/richevers
Indiana payout limited to five million for collapse victims
Horrified onlookers stand helpless as 70mph winds tackled the stage at the state fair. Flickr/richevers

Indiana payout limited to five million for collapse victims

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Indiana lawyers are looking for additional liable parties from last Saturday’s stage collapse at the state fair. By law, the damages the state of Indiana could pay victims is capped at five million dollars in total.

Lawyer Mark Ladendorf represents one of the dozens of injured people from the collapse. “In this case you are significantly dividing that amount by the number of potential plaintiffs that might exist and you’re dividing it into almost nothing at some point,” he said.

Ladendorf said more lawsuits are likely to be filed - perhaps against stage designers and engineers or the concert promoter. The state is launching an investigation, and Ladendorf said lawyers be doing the same. He said, “You never want the fox to guard the henhouse, you know?” He added that this accident may prompt a new look at the state’s law of a five million dollar cap.

On Friday a sixth person died due to injuries from the collapse. Jennifer Haskell was a college senior at Ball State University.