JBL recently agreed to pay a $815,000 settlement to end a lawsuit stemming from the 2003 fire at the Station Nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., Pro Sound News reported.
Erupting during a concert by Great White, the fire left 100 dead and another 200 injured when pyrotechnics ignited soundproofing foam on the walls and ceiling of the club.
Dozens of companies have been sued by survivors and families of victims since the fire; JBL had been accused of using flammable foam within its speakers, but admitted no wrongdoing in its settlement. In court papers, the company noted that material in its speakers wouldn’t have acclelerated the fire any more quickly than other building materials in the facility, PSN reported.
The settlement must be approved by the judge and the plaintiff; other companies that have tentatively settled include Home Depot, Clear Channel, a local TV station and the band’s tour bus supplier. The various tentative settlements combined have so far reached more than $70 million.
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