California's Court of Appeals has denied Michael's family's attempt to reverse a jury's decision in 2013 that concert promoter AEG Live is not responsible for the singer's death.
- January 31, 2015
AceShowbiz -
California's Court of Appeals ruled on Friday, January 30 that Michael Jackson's family did not have standing for a new trial in a negligence case against AEG Live. The family lost their attempt to reverse a jury's decision in 2013 that concert promoter AEG Live is not responsible for the singer's death.
In the lawsuit filed in 2010 by Michael's mother Katherine Jackson, the family was seeking $1.5 billion in damages. The family claimed AEG Live had negligently hired Dr. Conrad Murray, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for giving Michael the anesthetic that led to his death. "AEG hired Dr. Conrad Murray as Michael's personal physician for a concert tour. Michael died of acute propofol intoxication while under Dr. Murray's care," the lawsuit stated.
However, the appellate court disagreed, maintaining the jury's decision in 2013. "AEG did not owe Michael a duty to refrain from exerting pressure over Dr. Murray, AEG did not undertake to provide protective services to Michael and AEG owed Michael no duty arising out of the contract with Dr. Murray," the appeal read, "The undisputed facts establish that Dr. Murray was an independent contractor as a matter of law, AEG is not liable under the peculiar risk doctrine as an independent contractor and Dr. Murray is not an agent of AEG."
AEG's lawyer Marvin Putnam told New York Daily News, "After a six-month trial, a jury unanimously found that AEG was in no way responsible for the tragic death of Michael Jackson. Today, in a strongly worded opinion, the California Court of Appeal agreed, holding the Jacksons had absolutely no basis to claim otherwise."
