At around 11:00 p.m. on February 20, 2003, rock and roll band “Great White” took the stage at an overcrowded West Warwick, Rhode Island nightclub called “The Station.” Great White announced its presence with a pyrotechnic display which immediately ignited building materials and polyurethane packing foam which the club owners had illegally applied to the walls and ceiling of the club in response to neighborhood noise complaints. Within five minutes, fire had consumed much of the club, ultimately claiming 100 lives and injuring scores of other club patrons.
The club’s owners and the band’s pyrotechnician have been convicted for their roles in the club’s condition and their activities, which caused the fire. Multiple civil lawsuits name the property owners, Great White band and its managers, the pyrotechnics manufacturer, city and state officials, sponsors and promoters of the concert, the distributor of the packing foam, and alleged manufacturers of the packing foam. We represent the alleged foam manufacturers, and have filed motions for summary judgment on their behalf. The litigation is ongoing.