A New York woman is suing a band and its singer after she was paralyzed by the rock star’s fall on stage at a concert earlier this year.
Bird Piché, 24, suffered a “catastrophic spinal injury” that left her unable to move when John Floreani of punk band Trophy Eyes dove into the mosh pit during a concert at Mohawk Place in Buffalo, New York, on April 30. .
The band, originally from Newcastle, said in a statement that they were “truly heartbroken” by the incident but had decided to continue their US tour in 2024.
Months later, the young victim sued Mohawk Place, the promoter After Dark Entertainment, LLC, Trophy Eyes and Floriani.
In a new lawsuit filed Dec. 18 in Erie County, New York, Piché accused everyone of negligence and failure to prevent “unsafe and/or dangerous conditions.”
‘While plaintiff Bird Piché was attending this concert, defendant John Floreani jumped backwards from the stage into the audience.
‘As a result of the uncontrolled fall from the stage, the lead singer, John Floreani, landed on top of plaintiff Bird Piché, causing her to be trampled and/or fall, suffering serious bodily injuries.
‘The plaintiff, Bird Piché, experienced serious personal injuries, conscious physical and emotional pain, fear for her safety, and pain and suffering as a result of the incident.
Bird Piché, 24, is suing Trophy Eyes and its singer John Florean after she was left paralyzed by the rock star’s fall on stage at a concert earlier this year.
In a new lawsuit filed on December 18 in Erie County, New York, Piché accused the band, as well as Mohawk Place and promoter After Dark Entertainment, LLC of negligence and failure to prevent “unsafe conditions and/or dangerous.”
‘Upon information and belief at all times relevant herein, the injuries and damages sustained by Plaintiff Bird Piché were suffered as a result of the negligence, recklessness and carelessness of Defendant Mohawk Place Inc’s agents, After Dark Entertainment Inc, Trophy Eyes and John Floreani, their servants and/or employees, and/or those actions on their behalf or at their request.’
The victim requests “a sum of money exceeding the jurisdictional limits of all lower courts together with the costs and disbursements of this action.”
DailyMail.com has contacted Piché’s family, Mohawk Place, After Dark Entertainment and Trophy Eyes for comment.
In early July, the band gave an update on the young man’s recovery and reported that the fan is making good progress.
“We are happy to share that Bird is in the rehabilitation (rehabilitation) phase of his recovery,” the band said in a statement posted on Instagram.
They continued: ‘With physiotherapy, he has regained movement in his arms and wrists, and sensation has returned to his legs and feet.
‘We all share the same optimism for his recovery; However, spinal injuries are very serious and require a lot of hard work and patience; The first year of rehabilitation is essential.
‘Bird’s tenacity and hard work means that he will hopefully soon leave his unit and continue his rehabilitation and recovery in a new accessible home.
In May, shortly after the accident, Bird and his family said he had regained use of his arms and some leg function, but not full use of his fingers and toes.
The concert took place at Mohawk Place in Buffalo, New York, on April 30.
“There is still a long road ahead for Bird and his family as they progress in their recovery, so we kindly ask that you keep them in your thoughts and continue to respect their privacy.”
The band also thanked their fans in the post for their support, adding: “We remain in frequent communication with Bird as we continue to work closely with the family to assist in Bird’s recovery in any way we can.”
The band signed their update, ‘We Love You, Bird’.
Trophy Eyes has already donated $5,000 to Bird’s GoFundMe Page which has a link on their online band platform.
Fans of the group showed their support for both the band and Bird in the comments.
“Accidents happen and you have dealt with this with all the power you have, so I have the utmost respect. I hope Bird is okay and his recovery is as good as possible,” he messaged a follower.
“I’m so happy to see all the kind comments on this post for both parties – stay strong and keep going,” another added.
“Sending my love to Bird and those close to her, also sending my love to the guys at Trophy Eyes,” an additional fan posted.
The band’s lead singer, John Floreani, plunged into the crowd (pictured), crushing Piche and seriously injuring her.
In May, shortly after the accident, Bird and his family said NBC News he had regained use of his arms and some function of his legs, but not full use of his fingers and toes.
“When you hear about these types of injuries, they’re obviously very serious, so I didn’t expect to have any recovery,” Bird told the network at the time.
Now he has recovered gross motor skills, the most basic movements of his arms and legs.
Bird hopes to develop fine motor skills and the ability to make complex movements with his fingers and toes to perform basic tasks of everyday life.
‘My arms, they are… in addition to my dexterity in my hands, almost completely. “My fingers don’t have full movement,” he added.
Bird also revealed that his legs sometimes make spontaneous kicking movements.
He explained that he has been going to rehab and his prognosis was very positive.
“They think I’ll make a full recovery.” “Nothing is certain, obviously, but they are predicting that I will fully recover from everything,” he said.
Bird said he had a clear memory of Floreani jumping back into the crowd.
“It was like his body and my neck, it was a crowd surfing thing.”
Bird’s family feared greatly for her after the incident. “We were even worried that he wouldn’t survive,” said his mother Amy Leigh Flaminio.
‘It’s going to be a long road, but the first signs are very promising. It’s exciting.”
The show, at Buffalo’s Mohawk Place, stopped immediately and Floreani accompanied Bird to the hospital with his family.
The manager of Mohawk Place said the location where the accident occurred had a strict “no moshing” policy.
“There are signs posted everywhere in the venue and a notice was included in emails for this show with the show promoter and the band themselves,” manager Mike Thor said in a statement.
“Our policy and practiced procedure is a complete stop to any stage skipping that has been implemented for this incident.”
The defendants have yet to release a public statement regarding the lawsuit.