The hit NBC show America’s Got Talent is supposed to be a fun, upbeat way for America to meet some of our most talented performers. It is not supposed to be dangerous for the eager audience that gets to watch it live. But that is exactly what allegedly happened when wheelchair-bound Maureen Allen took a deadly fall in NBC Universal’s parking lot following a viewing of America’s Got Talent. Her family has now filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles against AGT and NBCU.

Page Six reports that the Pasadena Civic Auditorium was the upcoming site of America’s Got Talent filming when Allen and her husband were there volunteering separately. The AGT crew in their setup blocked all but one handicap access point which was the genesis of her fall, “While attempting to maneuver her wheelchair over the obstruction (blocking the one handicap access point) Allen was violently thrown off her scooter onto the hard pavement and sustained head and arm injuries and a broken hip.” Ultimately Allen had eight different procedures stemming from the fall but following a short bout on life support lost her life three months after her fall.

The City of Pasadena and an AGT producer have also been named defendants in this wrongful death lawsuit. Like many avoidable deaths, Allen’s death was not immediate but drawn out, emotional and expensive. When this happens, her family is actually filing a wrongful death lawsuit and a Survior Action. What’s the difference? Take a look…

• Survivor Action: In those cases such as Allen where the death is not immediate, a survivor action gives the family a chance to file a lawsuit on behalf of their lost one for the injuries they suffered following the accident. Here, this would encompass those three months in which she was in pain, spent money on her eight procedures and more.
• Wrongful Death: A wrongful death lawsuit is also filed by the family for their financial losses stemming from the avoidable death, for their sadness and loss of companionship and much more.

Ultimately, the combination of a survivor action and a wrongful death lawsuit for this Los Angeles-based injury will attempt to give the grieving family significantly more money. And while no amount of money can bring a loved one back, it can certainly help. If you have lost a loved one because of the negligent actions of someone else, please get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help you.