R.I. NIGHTCLUB SUITS JOINED:

The civil suits stemming from The Station nightclub fire were consolidated last month under a complaint filed by 240 plaintiffs that names 47 defendants. U.S. District Judge Ronald Lagueux said the consolidation will help the cases move more quickly through the court system because it allows the judge to act on one complaint rather than several. At least five lawsuits, representing victims’ families and those injured in the blaze, have been filed in federal court in Providence. The Feb. 20, 2003, fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick killed 100 people and injured hundreds more. The complaint alleges negligence on the part of several companies, including those who promoted the concert, the wall foam manufacturers, town and state fire inspectors and the club owners and the band that was playing that night. The new complaint adds about 20 more plaintiffs and substitutes several defendants from the original complaint filed in October. The complaint also presents new legal arguments for suing certain companies. The suit alleges that beer company Anheuser Busch Inc., which distributed banners, hats, T-shirts and other Budweiser products, should’ve known that the band used pyrotechnics. The complaint said Anheuser Busch’s allowing the use of the Budweiser trademark constituted a “naked licensing” of the trademark, which may have deceived the public. Lawyers for several of the defendants said the move to amend the complaint was an attempt to avoid getting some of the defendants dismissed.

Topics Lawsuits