The Indiana Supreme Court has ruled that the state is not liable to pay damages incurred by a company that provided stage rigging that collapsed and killed seven people during the 2011 state fair.
Mid-America Sound Corp. had argued that a voucher claim form the State Fair Commission signed months after the collapse included an "indemnification" provision that released it from any claims arising from the use of its equipment.
But the high court ruled unanimously Thursday that the voucher form's language "did not clearly and unequivocally provide for retroactive application" of that provision for any claims arising from the deadly rigging collapse.
Thursday's ruling vacates a 2015 state appeals court ruling that had overturned a trial judge's finding that Mid-America Sound could not shift its liabilities to the state.
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See all stories about the stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair.