Some who were hurt in State Fair collapse are unable to receive money from relief fund

Some victims of the Sugarland stage collapse have looked for compensation for their medical bills and injuries caused as a result of this tragedy from the State Fair Relief Fund, just to be denied because they did not meet the strict guidelines the fund imposed to determine eligibility.

The State Fair Relief Fund is comprised of approximately $970,000 of donated money, and whose stated purpose is to help the victims of this accident. Thirty seven victims of the stage collapse have applied for access to money in the fund, but of those only twenty have been approved, with approximately $470,000 having been paid out. The rest of the money is currently unused and sitting in the fund. The deadline to apply for compensation from the fund is November 14, 2011.

Those who were denied apparently did not meet the strict guidelines for payment, since they had not been admitted to the hospital for a full day between August 13 and October 2, 2011. Many have criticized this approach as to who is, and who is not eligible, saying it is arbitrary, and does not consider other factors including severity of injuries, loss of wages and whether the victim is otherwise insured.

In addition to the State Fair Relief Fund victims of the Sugarland stage collapse can make a filing for compensation with Indiana’s Tort Claim Fund. However, this too is a limited pool of money, which is capped at $5 million total for all victims. So far, 70 claims have already been filed.

For more information see the article at Indystar by clicking this link.

If you or a loved one has been injured in the Sugarland State Fair stage collapse you may need to seek legal representation to make sure you are compensated for your injuries. Starr Austen and Miller focuses on representing individuals and their family members in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases.  If you are an Indiana State Fair Stage Collapse victim or need any further information regarding this tragedy, contact us as soon as possible for assistance.

Related Link:

https://starrausten.com/sugarland-state-fair-collapse-lawsuit-filed-by-starr-austen-miller/