AEG Live Not Responsible For Michael Jackson’s Death

AEG Live isn’t responsible for the death of Michael Jackson, according to a Los Angeles jury’s ruling on Wednesday. The verdict brings a five-month trial to close.

The concert promoter was sued by Jackson’s mother, Katherine, and the singer’s three children in 2010. The family contended the company was partially responsible for the singer’s death, because it hired Dr. Conrad Murray.

Jackson died of an overdose on June 25, 2009, when Murray injected him with the surgical anesthetic propofol, which the doctor alleged he administered to treat the singer’s insomnia.

The company’s lawyers contended in the trial that Michael Jackson chose Dr. Murray, who treated him for three years as a family physician. However, Jackson lawyer argued the promoters negotiated their own contract with the doctor in order to control him.

Attorneys for the family contended that economic damages from Jackson’s death could surpass $1 billion. They wanted the jury to award each of Jackson’s children $85 million and pay another $35 million to Katherine Jackson. However, the jury disagreed.

Dr. Conrad Murray was already found guilty in November 2011 of involuntary manslaughter for his part in Jackson’s death. However, the latest trial was meant to deal with who was responsible for hiring Murray to take care of Jackson before his comeback tour.

While the jury ruled AEG Live hired Murray, it ruled Murray was not unfit or incompetent to perform the job he was expected to do. Jackson’s lawyers claimed the company was more concerned with the profits of a successful concert run than they were about Jackson’s health. Panish added, “They’re a money-making machine. All they care about is how much money is this freak going to make for them.”

AEG Live attorney Marvin Putnam argued the opposite. Instead, he stated that Jackson insisted on hiring Murray, despite their objections. He added that the singer appeared in top form just 12 hours before his untimely death. Putnam went on to say, “AEG Live did not have a crystal ball. Dr. Murray and Mr. Jackson fooled everyone. They want to blame AEG for something no one saw.”

The trial involving AEG Live was five months long and included testimony from Michael Jackson’s mother, son, and former wife.

[Image via Jorg Hackemann / Shutterstock.com]