WTHR TV in Indiana says Sugarland's name has shown up as defendants in some possible lawsuits linked to the stage collapse in Indianapolis last month that killed seven people and injured 40 others.  Sugarland never took the stage August 13th at the Indiana State Fair at the advice of their manager.  Moments later, wind gusts brought down the stage rigging holding at least 40,000 pounds of lights.   "They were in the bunkers in a prayer circle waiting to go on stage. And the tour manager herself held for a few minutes herself because of the weather.    And if she hadn't held, everybody would have been on the stage," explained Sugarland's manager the day after the collapse. 

22-year-old Jennifer Haskell was in the front row with her best friend Alina BigJohny.   Both were killed.  BigJohny died that night, and Haskell passed away six days later.    Now her parents and sister have named at least 15 entities as responsible parties including "the band known as 'Sugarland, and its members, agents and employees."   The tort claim says, "Haskell's injuries and wrongful death were the proximate result of the defendants' gross negligence and/or recklessness."   A week following the tragedy, Sugarland dedicated a moment of silence and song to the injured or those who died.   "In the loss of our set and our instruments and our equipment this set, incredible machine looks very different right now," said Jennifer Nettles August 18, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  

The Haskell family attorney, James Williams of Muncie, would not talk about its filing, saying, "It is simply a statutory notice at this point of all potentially involved parties."     No lawsuit has been filed, only a notice of what could come as three different teams of professional investigators pour over some of the same findings 13 Investigates discovered, starting with the lack of permits, certifications or inspections of stages by the state.    Read all about it here. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_LEwNr_LGw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWSxxYBU_vM