Woman Sues Over Serious Injuries Sustained At Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' Concert
By Afouda Bamidele on February 1, 2024 at 5:07 PM EST
Updated on February 1, 2024 at 5:12 PM EST
Taylor Swift's critically acclaimed "The Eras Tour" has been dragged into a legal fight after a woman sued over serious injuries she sustained during an August concert.
According to court documents obtained by The Blast, a woman named Tonia Buell is seeking damages after suffering physical injuries due to a nasty fall she took while posing in a photo booth sponsored by RockStar energy drink.
Woman Injured During Taylor Swift Concert Files Massive Lawsuit
Buell has filed the lawsuit in L.A. County Courts, again Pepsi Compay and StadCo LA, LLC -- going after the owner of the drink and the location of the concert. The concertgoer claimed the incident went down during Taylor's "The Eras Tour" concert on August 8, 2023, held at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
According to the lawsuit, At 6:15 PM, the woman and her daughter entered the main floor and noticed a promotional area for the "Rockstar Recovery" energy drink. She claims the promotional area contained a photo booth which included a bright orange swing where attendees could sit and have their pictures taken.
She described the swing as large enough to accommodate two adults and noted that it was made of a large wood plank suspended in the air by two metal chains. The chains were attached to the seat by two "eye" bolts explained the concertgoers.
"In turn, the "eye" bolts were attached to either end of the seat at the central point between the front and back edges of the plank," she wrote. As a result, she says the seat of the swing had a "tilt or teeter-totter" movement because the bolts were only attached to two points as opposed to attaching the chains to all four corners of the seat.
While attempting to sit on the swing, she was "instantly thrown to the ground, striking her head and neck on the concrete floor." She stated that there was no padding or protective covering beneath the swing.
The concert guest recalled being in "immediate and severe pain" when two employees came to her aid. She informed them about the "dangerous" design of the swing and asked them if other people had fallen from the same swing.
"The Rockstar Recovery employee stated that other people had sustained injuries from the swing in a similar fashion at other venues," the legal filing read. She claims that she immediately began to "bruise and swell," after which she felt "dazed, nauseous, and confused."
Taylor Swift's Female Concertgoer Sustained A 'Scalp Hematoma'
Although she tried to shake it off to enjoy the concert, she was unable to take her seat because of the symptoms. Upon going to urgent care the following day, she claims she was diagnosed with "concussion, scalp hematoma, and cervical sprain in her neck."
Despite the incident happening months ago, the female concertgoer alleged in the lawsuit that she continues to be plagued by symptoms of the traumatic brain injury she endured, thereby having a devastating impact on her career. She has worked at the Washington State Department of Transportation.
To make things worse, she claims has been unable to "speak at conferences, give presentations, or perform other public outreach functions" critical to her job since sustaining the injuries. The lawsuit is for "Negligence, Premises Liability, and Negligent Training."
An specific amount of damages with not disclosed.