First lawsuit filed after “Dark Knight Rises” tragedy

Last week, a young man shot and killed 12 people while injuring 58 others in a Colorado movie theater during the 'Dark Knight Rises' film premiere. Recently, a moviegoer has filed a lawsuit against both the theater and Warner Bros. Studios, the first for the incident.

Torrence Brown, Jr. filed the lawsuit less than a week after the massacre. Brown was not injured in the movie theater, but witnessed his best friend A.J. Boik suffer fatal injuries from alleged gunman James Holmes. Brown has alleged that he suffers from severe emotional distress because of the incident.

Brown has accused Warner Bros. of releasing a movie that is extremely violent, which may have led to Holmes' obsession with Batman characters. Also, the moviegoers were unsure if the attack was real or staged at first because of the bloodshed evidenced in "Dark Knight Rises."

The lawsuit also accuses the movie theater, Century 16 Aurora, of not ensuring the safety of their customers. Allegedly, the theater is at fault for negligence because Holmes entered through an insecure emergency door instead of through the main entrance. Along with these two businesses, Brown accused Holmes' doctors of medical malpractice, claiming that they should have closely monitored the medication the alleged killer was taking.
"Holmes, 24, made his first court appearance yesterday and appeared dazed and out of it as prosecutors asked a judge for more time to contemplate the avalanche of charges he'll surely face," the New York Post reported. "It's still unclear why Holmes snapped that night."

Our society is scary for businesses. This case is a prime example of how far liability may reach. The plaintiff himself suffered no physical injury and was not related to the person who died. In this environment Arizona businesses may want to speak with their Phoenix business attorneys for liability and asset protection.

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