Family: Stadium Warned Of Faulty Locks Before Man Fell, Died

The family of a concertgoer who fell to his death through a garbage chute at Progressive Field alleged the Cleveland Indians were repeatedly warned about faulty locks and doors leading to the chutes.

Cleveland.com reports attorneys for Cory Barron’s family made those allegations in court documents filed this week in their lawsuit against more than a dozen defendants, including the Indians and entertainment company Live Nation.

– Progressive Field

Barron, 22, disappeared during a July 2014 concert featuring country acts such as Jason Aldean. A worker at a landfill found his body four days later. Investigators found he fell down the five-story chute along the left field foul line.

Attorney W. Craig Bashein said a door company warned the doors leading to the chute needed to be replaced in March 2014. The company made the same note in May.

A national expert in stadium safety hired by the Indian’s insurance company said in June the locks to the chute were broken. Bashein also noted an employee for the team sent a note to the stadium’s maintenance manager that the doors leading to the suit needed to be locked.

“There were also numerous inebriated concert goers who required medical attention and/or assistance,” the lawsuit states, describing the concert’s atmosphere as “exactly as advertised.”

The lawsuit asks for at least $150,000 in damages. Those named in the lawsuit denied any wrongdoing. Cleveland.com reports a spokesman for the Indians declined to comment.