Christie Lites Sues StageCo

Christie Lites has filed suit against StageCo for an incident involving the collapse of a lighting tower just days before a nationally televised motorcross event in 2009.

The company alleged in a statement that StageCo was negligent in the construction of the tower, which “totally destroyed” a specialized lighting array and equipment owned by Christie Lites when it collapsed at the Fort Worth Stockyards in June 2009. No one was injured during the collapse.

Christie Lites claims that prior to the incident, it’s “never had to take legal action against a fellow industry vendor.” The company says that after trying to resolve the matter amicably, it was forced to file suit, and is seeking more than $500,000 in actual damages plus $1 million in punitive damages.

StageCo responded in a statement noting that the company takes its responsibilities seriously, is fully insured and “all parties will be appropriately protected and reimbursed.”

“Following this unfortunate incident we initiated our own investigation; there are multiple parties and multiple factors under consideration such as unprotected wind gusts, and most importantly, there were no injuries,” the statement said. “This lawsuit relates to the collapse of one of eight towers days before the event, which took place as planned. We anticipate the judges will need time to resolve this complex matter.”