Can I claim if I hurt myself at a festival?

Posted 12 months ago by aequitaslegal in Accidents at Festivals

Every year thousands of music fans descend on music festivals around the world. It can be a momentous occasion for many who might be seeing they’re favourite artists live for the first time. Large crowds, weather conditions and purpose-built locations can pose a number of problems.

Matt Trusch of Aequitas Legal shares his thoughts about whether you can make a claim for an accident or injury that occurs at a festival.

Matt suggests: “Although festival operators have extensive health and safety procedures in place to prevent accidents, unfortunately this isn’t always possible. Accidents do happen and when they do it’s important to know what you’re entitled to.

He adds: “Festival’s are particularly interesting environments because they can often be unlike any other. We often compare it to going to a club as you usually have large groups of people with many under the influence of alcohol. This poses a number of questions about whether an accident that has taken place is at the responsibility of the festival organisers or the individual themselves.

We receive a number of enquires where a festival goer has had an accident that has resulted in injury. As an organiser, venue or host of an event there is a “duty of care” for the attendees which means they’re responsible for your safety. This duty of care is usually fulfilled but accidents can happen and it’s important to know about your rights.”

In terms of the injuries, these can differ drastically, fundamentally due to the location. Most festivals take place in purpose built outdoor venues in rural areas due to the noise and scale of the event. Some festivals are indoor at existing venues inner city.

Possible injuries from an outdoor festival could be:

• Slips, trips or falls – from guide ropes or the outdoor conditions
• Ankle injuries – from mud and/or the crowd
• Head injuries – from falling objects or others in the crowd
• Breaks or fractures – of any kind

Possible injuries from an indoor festival could be:

• Slips, trips or falls – from unmarked steps or hazards
• Crowd accidents – caused from overselling events or pushing others
• Breaks or fractures – of any kind

We would like to encourage anyone who has been involved in an incident at a festival to seek legal advice. You can contact a member of the team on 0161 358 0800 or find out more information at accidents-at-festivals.