Travis Scott/BET Awards/Wiki Commons/Warrior Network Agency
Byline: Malana VanTyler
Travis Scott is facing renewed legal scrutiny following the filing of a new negligence lawsuit by the family of a teenage victim of the Astroworld Festival tragedy. While multiple wrongful death cases from the 2021 crowd surge incident have already been settled, this latest civil action keeps the controversy surrounding the Houston-born rapper in the national spotlight.
The family of 14-year-old John Hilgert, who died during the festival, is alleging gross negligence against Scott and other involved parties, including Live Nation and various event organizers. The lawsuit claims that those in charge failed to implement basic safety protocols, adequately control the crowd, or provide proper medical attention. With thousands of attendees pressed together during the concert, the event spiraled into chaos ultimately leaving ten people dead and hundreds injured.
Despite widespread criticism and dozens of lawsuits, a Texas grand jury declined to bring criminal charges against Scott in 2023. However, that decision hasn’t stemmed the wave of civil litigation, and at least one case is expected to go to trial in 2025.
Allegations of Negligence
The new lawsuit mirrors many of the accusations leveled in earlier cases:
- Failure to properly assess and mitigate crowd control risks
- Inadequate number of trained medical personnel on site
- Poorly coordinated emergency response
- Encouraging high energy and dangerous crowd behavior during the performance
The family’s attorney emphasizes that the suit is not only about accountability, but also about setting a precedent to ensure that tragedies like this never happen again.
Nicole Lahmani of Lahmani Law/Warrior Network Agency
Expert Insight from Nicole Lahmani, Top Personal Injury Attorney
To provide legal context to this high-profile case, we spoke with Nicole Lahmani, a leading personal injury attorney based in Southern California. Known for her relentless advocacy and client-first approach, Lahmani has built a reputation for representing victims in complex, emotionally charged litigation involving negligence and wrongful death.
According to Lahmani, this case could play a crucial role in reshaping how live event organizers and artists approach safety moving forward.
“Negligence isn’t just about what someone did, it’s about what they failed to do,” Lahmani explains. “When you are responsible for an event of that scale, you are also responsible for planning for the worst-case scenario. That includes medical response, crowd control infrastructure, and proactive safety planning.”
Key Legal Considerations
Lahmani outlined several important aspects victims and families should understand when navigating high-profile negligence cases:
1. Early Documentation Is Critical
“Video, photos, medical records, eyewitness accounts, all of these become powerful tools in building your case,” says Lahmani. “In large-scale events like Astroworld, where thousands of videos were uploaded online, that documentation becomes a key part of showing exactly how the tragedy unfolded.”
2. Insurance Companies Are Not Your Advocate
“Victims often make the mistake of thinking insurance carriers will ‘do the right thing.’ In reality, their goal is to minimize payouts,” Lahmani explains. “A qualified attorney ensures you’re not being shortchanged, especially when long-term injuries or trauma are involved.”
3. Medical Treatment Strengthens the Case
Lahmani stresses the importance of immediate and consistent medical care. “Even if the injuries don’t appear severe at first, documentation of treatment is necessary to show ongoing effects, physically and emotionally.”
4. Every Case Is Personal
“No two victims are alike. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all legal strategies,” Lahmani says. “Each case needs a personalized roadmap, especially when emotional damages and future well-being are involved.”
A Warning to the Entertainment Industry
Lahmani also views the Astroworld litigation as a wake-up call for the entertainment world.
“The public assumes big events have their safety plans in place. But when corners are cut or egos get in the way, the results can be deadly,” she says. “Artists, promoters, and venues have a shared duty to prioritize human life over profits or performance energy.”
As the courts prepare to revisit the Astroworld tragedy through continued lawsuits, legal experts like Lahmani believe this case may help redefine how safety is approached in the live entertainment industry.
Though Travis Scott has faced no criminal liability to date, the civil suits have brought significant scrutiny to how concerts are managed, and who is held accountable when tragedies occur. The Hilgert family’s lawsuit is a reminder that for many, justice remains unfinished.
And for attorneys like Nicole Lahmani, these cases are more than just legal battles, they’re a chance to advocate for families navigating unimaginable loss, and to ensure the system delivers not just compensation, but change.