The collapse of a stage at the Indiana State Fair on August 13 was national news for many days. Seven people died and many were injured. However, like all news stories, it faded and the media moved on to other stories. People forgot about it - except for those who were injured or lost loved ones in the tragedy.

An Ohio woman and her daughter were at the Sugarland concert when the stage collapsed into the crowd, pinning Shannon Walcott and Jade, her 10-year-old daughter. Jade suffered a brain injury and at present is only able to go to school part-time. Shannon broke 10 bones and suffered third degree burns. Mother and daughter are slowly getting their lives back. Shannon is still on crutches and had to move in with her mother while undergoing therapy for her injuries.

How and why the accident happened is still not entirely known. The weather suddenly turned stormy and a gust of wind estimated to be 60-70 MPH hit the stage, toppling it into the crowd. The wind burst was thought be a ground-level shallow vortex known as a gustinado. There was no warning that a storm was imminent, although a thunderstorm watch had been issued a few hours before the concert. An investigation into the accident continues, with a final report scheduled for release in the spring of 2012.

Whether Shannon and her daughter can be fairly compensated for their losses is up in the air. The state of Indiana has a $700,000 cap per individual and a $5 million cap per incident. It does not appear that this would be enough to pay for the medical treatment needed by survivors and the families of those who were killed. The deadline for filing notice of a tort claim recently passed. Those who met the deadline have preserved their ability to sue the state of Indiana.

Source:abc2news.com, "Local Victim of Indiana Stage Collapse Shares Story", Nov. 9, 2011.