Why Crowd Control Matters and What MARTA Should Have Learned Years Ago
After a Beyoncé concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in July, chaos erupted at Atlanta’s Vine City MARTA station when an escalator suddenly malfunctioned and threw riders to the floor. At least 11 people were injured. Witnesses described a terrifying scene as the escalator picked up speed without warning, causing concertgoers to crash into each other at the bottom. Several were taken to the hospital, and the station’s escalator was quickly blocked off from use.
While MARTA officials initially said the equipment was not mechanically at fault, they later confirmed that the incident was caused by too many people overloading the escalator at once. According to MARTA, the weight exceeded capacity, triggering an abrupt emergency stop and causing riders to fall violently onto the platform. The failure happened just minutes after midnight, with limited staff on-site to help manage the large post-concert crowd.
This is not the first time MARTA has been warned about the danger of escalator overload. In fact, our attorneys at Fried Goldberg LLC tried a nearly identical case more than a decade ago.
Patricia Weeks Case Should Have Been MARTA’s Wake-Up Call
In 2011, Fried Goldberg LLC secured a verdict on behalf of Patricia Weeks, a woman whose leg was broken when a MARTA escalator at the Five Points Station suddenly reversed direction and threw passengers into a pile at the landing. The malfunction occurred on New Year’s Eve 2007 and injured more than a dozen riders. Weeks’ case went to trial, and the jury found that MARTA and its contractor failed to maintain the escalator safely.
The verdict was reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and resulted in a $1.4 million award.
The similarities between that case and the recent Beyoncé incident are hard to ignore. In both events, the escalator failed due to a foreseeable hazard involving large crowds and high-pressure circumstances. In the Weeks case, MARTA was criticized for failing to maintain the machinery. In the Beyoncé incident, MARTA admitted it had only half the staff it needed to manage the event crowd and did not assign personnel to oversee entry onto the escalator.
Attorney Michael Goldberg, who co-counseled the Weeks case with attorney Joe Fried, said this most recent incident should not have happened.
“Crowd monitoring is necessary at big events to make sure escalators aren’t overloaded, and MARTA was taught this lesson when we handled the Patricia Weeks case,” Goldberg said. “Although the chance of overloading is low, if it happens, the escalator will fail and the result will be catastrophic injuries. Because of the catastrophic nature of the risk, MARTA always has to have crowd control at big events and has known this for years. It is our understanding that MARTA was understaffed at the time of this incident and was not doing crowd control as it should have.”
Goldberg was also interviewed for a recent follow-up article by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, highlighting the dangerous similarities to the Patricia Weeks case.
Warning Signs and Accountability
Public transportation systems have a duty to anticipate the risks that come with high foot traffic, especially during major events. MARTA had ample notice that the Beyoncé concert would draw thousands of attendees. Despite this, the agency acknowledged that it had only 200 additional staff working the event, which it later admitted was “about half” of what was required. Worse, no staff were posted at the escalator itself to manage crowd flow.
After the malfunction, MARTA claimed routine maintenance had been performed just days before. However, as Councilmember Marci Collier Overstreet noted, the incident still warrants a formal investigation. She pointed to the need for answers on inspection protocols, staffing levels, and the agency’s failure to manage the crowd.
“This was a terrible, horrific situation, and it could have been even worse,” she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Catastrophic Consequences of Escalator Malfunctions
When an escalator fails, the results can be violent and traumatic. Riders are often caught off guard, with no time to react as they fall onto metal steps or into other passengers. Injuries can include broken bones, concussions, spinal trauma, and deep lacerations. In high-density events like concerts, where people are shoulder-to-shoulder, the danger is even more severe.
In the Vine City incident, it appears that a panicked crowd tried to escape the concourse after a scream was heard. People flooded the escalator without direction or control, and with no MARTA personnel guiding flow, the result was chaos.
MARTA’s statement that “nothing was wrong” with the escalator ignores the broader safety concern. A properly functioning escalator can still be deadly when misused or overloaded. That is why trained crowd control staff are essential. Without them, the risk becomes unacceptable.
MARTA’s Long History of Escalator Safety Issues
This is not the first time MARTA’s escalator safety has come under scrutiny. Beyond the Weeks verdict, the agency has faced criticism over lax inspection practices and outdated equipment. In 2008, another jury awarded $525,000 to a woman who suffered a neck injury when an escalator at the Peachtree Center station sped up and ejected riders onto the platform.
Since 2016, MARTA has been in the process of a long-overdue modernization project to upgrade its escalators and elevators. The $217 million effort includes replacing outdated equipment and improving safety controls. According to MARTA, about 75 percent of the system’s escalators have now been updated. However, as the Vine City failure demonstrates, equipment upgrades are meaningless if human safety protocols are not in place.
Legal Options for Victims Injured in Public Transit Accidents
When a transportation agency fails to manage crowd flow or maintain safe equipment, injured victims may be entitled to seek compensation through a premises liability or negligence claim. These cases often involve:
- Proving the agency knew or should have known about the safety risk
- Demonstrating a lack of reasonable safety protocols
- Showing the connection between the agency’s failure and the injuries suffered
Fried Goldberg LLC has a long track record of holding transit authorities accountable when riders are injured due to preventable failures. Cases like Patricia Weeks’ have helped change how transit agencies approach safety — but clearly, more work remains.
If you or someone you love was injured due to unsafe conditions at a MARTA station or any other public transit facility, you may have a legal claim. Our attorneys can investigate what went wrong and help you pursue justice. Contact us today for a free consultation.
"My experience at Fried Goldberg LLC exceeded my expectations in every way! Following my accident, I was in tremendous pain, financially desperate, and very afraid. From the moment I walked through their office door until the day I settled my case, I was treated with the utmost respect, kindness, and unwavering professionalism." - Hannah L., ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐