With music festival and concert season officially in full swing, people of all ages are traveling all across the country to listen to the music of their favorite bands and artists alongside thousands of fans—but are these venues properly prepared and secured for the crowds ready to storm their gates?
Due to the presence of large crowds, alcohol consumption, and an often raucous atmosphere, concerts and music festivals can result in serious personal injuries if there isn’t inadequate security or crowd control. In order to make sure you have a safe festival season, we’ve compiled some useful information on music festival and concert safety.
Music Festival & Concert Safety: What Can Go Wrong
From stage collapses to stampedes, there’s a number of serious injuries that can occur at concerts or music festivals due to inadequate safety measures and supervision.
For a local example, a few years ago at the Kid Rock concert at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien Center NY in 2013, 43 year-old Jason McNeil of Tuscaloosa, Alabama was punched and knocked unconscious by Craig Lawson in a case of apparent mistaken identity. Mr. Lawson had already been ejected from the concert for being intoxicated and attacking another individual, but security at the venue never completed the task of getting him out of the gate. The punch caused Mr. McNeil’s head to hit the ground and he was in a coma by the time he reached the hospital.
As a result, he required several surgeries and extended hospitalization. His attorney alleges that Mr. McNeil sustained a traumatic brain injury that prevents him from working and makes it difficult for him to walk or speak. Mr. McNeil and his wife have filed a lawsuit against various defendants including Craig Lawson, the concert promoter, the security company responsible for crowd control at the event, and the Darien Lakes Performing Art Center. The suit seeks $150 million in damages.
When To File a Negligence Lawsuit for a Concert or Music Festival
Many lawsuits seeking damages for personal injuries sustained at concerts or music festivals are brought on theories of negligence against the venue, the promoter, and any security company involved with the event for failure to provide adequate security.
Inadequate security measures could include failure to provide adequate numbers of security personnel, failure to adequately screen and perform background checks on the security personnel, and/or a failure to ensure that the property is well-secured and monitored.
What To Do When Injured at a Concert or Music Festival
If you are injured at a concert or music festival, you should follow the following steps:
1.Write It Down
Soon after the incident, make a note of who or what injured you to ensure that you are able to recall important facts necessary to later prove your case.
2. Collect Evidence
Speak to any witnesses to the incident and seek to obtain any other evidence that may be available, including video footage or photographs.
3. Do Your Research
Determine who owns the venue, and any other entities that were in charge of providing security.
4. Contact a Professional
Consult an attorney to assess your case and protect your rights.
Were You Injured at a Music Festival or Concert? Let Our Personal Injury Attorneys Help You
It is inexcusable and, at minimum, negligent for concert organizers to fail to plan for the logistics of large crowds. Organizers must take all reasonable precautions to protect the health and safety of paying customers.
The law firm of Maynard, O’Connor, Smith & Catalinotto has previously successfully sued concert promoters for insufficient security at a music festival. If you or a loved one have sustained an injury at a concert or other music festival, please contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Maynard, O’Connor, Smith & Catalinotto for assistance and allow us to help you obtain the compensation and recovery you deserve.
Call us at 800-721-3553 or email us for a free consultation.
Editor’s note: This content was originally published in 2014 but has been updated as of April 2019.
