30-05-2025
Woman sues B.C. Place after drunk falls on her, leaving permanent injuries
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B.C. Place was negligent by putting profit ahead of the safety of patrons at a Luke Combs concert by overserving alcohol, which led to a 'grossly impaired' woman falling on to another woman, causing permanent injuries, a lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court alleges.
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Jaspreet Boparai filed the lawsuit against B.C. Pavilion Corp., the operator of B.C. Place, Live Nation Canada, which brought the country music megastar to Vancouver, an unnamed security company and the concertgoer who was allegedly drunk at the May 27, 2023, concert, according to the claim.
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Boparai's lawsuit refers to the woman as Jane Doe, as her identity isn't known, but says she was sitting in seat 104, row DD, section 416.
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'Jane Doe, who was impaired by alcohol while attending the concert, fell on to the plaintiff,' the cases says.
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The lawsuit focuses on the actions and practices of B.C. Place, alleging it was negligent and liable for damages because safeguards to prevent patrons from becoming inebriated were disproportionate to the money raised by alcohol sales.
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The defendants 'put their own financial interest and gain before the health and safety of the plaintiff' and as a result she was injured, it said.
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It alleged Jane Doe was either allowed into the concert when she shouldn't have been or 'was served alcohol to the point of impairment, for profit' at the concert by the defendants.
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Boparai is seeking damages for a list of injuries, which include traumatic brain injury, headaches, injury to the neck, back and shoulders, chronic pain, fatigue, dizziness, and mood and personality changes, it said.
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She says the injuries caused her unspecified damages, including loss of earning capacity and opportunity to earn, cost of future care, out-of-pocket expenses and loss of ability to perform activities such as household tasks.
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She also claims other unspecified damages, including for pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life, as well as for cost of prescriptions and medical care, such as physiotherapy and massage therapy, it said.
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The claim alleges the defendants were negligent because they legally owed a duty of care under B.C.'s Occupiers' Act to Boparai and others to ensure B.C. Place was 'managed, supervised and maintained' to make it reasonably safe for patrons.
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The negligent behaviour including selling or serving alcohol to Jane Doe when 'they knew or ought to have known it was likely to cause her to become impaired and become a danger to other patrons at the concert,' and served her when they knew she was intoxicated, it said.
