Can You Sue for Accidents at a Music Festival in Pennsylvania?

Music festivals are very popular, and hundreds or even thousands of people may attend. These festivals often have numerous vendors and amenities in addition to live music. Unfortunately, accidents and injuries are somewhat common at music festivals, and you might get hurt. If you are, an attorney can help you explore your legal options.

You may file a lawsuit after being injured at a music festival in Pennsylvania. Exactly who you include in the lawsuit will vary based on how the accident occurred. Sometimes, the organizers of the festival may be held accountable for dangerous conditions at the event. In other cases, vendors at the festival or other attendees may be held legally responsible. Alcohol may be a significant factor, as many festival goers enjoy drinking. If that is the case, talk to your attorney about how alcohol might affect your lawsuit.

For a free, confidential case evaluation, call our Philadelphia personal injury lawyers at The Reiff Law Firm at (215) 709-6940.

Can I File a Lawsuit After Being Injured at a Music Festival?

While you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit if you believe someone else is responsible for your injuries, we must consider how the accident happened and who is to blame. Music festivals are often very crowded events with various tents, vendors, and equipment scattered throughout, and a myriad of injuries may be possible.

Our Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers must also consider the presence of alcohol. If you were injured while you were intoxicated, which is not uncommon at music festivals, much of the liability might fall to you. Even so, intoxication might play only a small role, or no role at all, and you may still sue for damages.

We must work with the authorities to investigate the accident. Numerous people were likely present, and it might still be unknown exactly who is responsible. Multiple parties may be responsible, and we might know who some are but not others.

Can I Sue the Music Festival Organizers in Pennsylvania if I was Injured?

If something about how the event was organized made it unsafe, the festival organizers can and should be held responsible. For example, if someone is injured because they become dehydrated, they might sue the festival organizers for providing inadequate water stations to festivalgoers.

Festival organizers may also be responsible for injuries caused by negligent employees. Organizers might hire security teams to enforce order and safety, and an overly aggressive bouncer might injure someone.

Even dangerous conditions on the festival site might make the festival organizers liable for injuries. If equipment causes an accident, we can sue the festival organizers. For example, if a tent purchased and assembled by the event staff collapses and injures you, we can sue.

Can I Sue if Another Music Festival Guest Injures Me?

Music festivals are not always as fun and peaceful as we would like. Other festival attendees may become rowdy, intoxicated, angry, or destructive. If you cross paths with such a person, you might be injured, and an attorney can help you sue them for damages.

One of the most important things we must do, and arguably one of the most challenging, is to identify the person who caused your injuries. Often, another festival attendee may flee the scene to avoid being apprehended, and we may have difficulty figuring out who they are. As such, we may need to rely on law enforcement and eyewitnesses to help us find the responsible person.

Can I Sue a Vendor at a Pennsylvania Music Festival for Injuries?

Music festivals are often multi-day events full of music, food, drinks, and more. If a vendor somehow causes an accident, they may be held liable for your injuries and damages.

A vendor may be held legally responsible if the goods or services they were selling directly caused your injuries. For example, suppose a vendor set up massage chairs at a music festival for tired guests to use for a fee. Next, suppose the chair you were using malfunctioned and injured your back. In that case, you could sue the vendor for your damages.

We must be prepared to demonstrate that the vendor owed you a duty of care or safety and that they breached that duty. This will vary based on what the vendor was selling and how you were injured. We must also demonstrate that the vendor’s breach of duty was the direct cause of your injuries.

Can I Sue for Accidents at a Music Festival if I am Sightly At-Fault?

In Pennsylvania, a personal injury plaintiff may still file a lawsuit even if they are somewhat responsible for the accident that caused their injuries. However, they might be unable to collect the full extent of their damages if they win their case.

According to 42 Pa.C.S. § 7102(a), Pennsylvania adheres to a rule of modified comparative negligence. This means that a plaintiff may still recover damages if they are partially responsible for their injuries, but their overall award may be reduced in proportion to their share of fault. Fault is determined by the court and often expressed as a percentage. So, if you are deemed 10% responsible, you lose 10% of your damages.

This rule only goes so far before recovery of damages is no longer possible. If the plaintiff’s negligence outweighs the defendant’s, meaning the plaintiff is more than 50% responsible, they may be barred from recovery.

How Alcohol May Affect Your Lawsuit for Injuries at a Music Festival

Alcohol is a common presence at music festivals. In some cases, vendors sell alcohol at the festival. In others, guests might sneak their own alcohol into the festival. Either way, alcohol consumption is often connected to accidents and injuries.

Liquor license holders in Pennsylvania, including music festival organizers and vendors, may be held liable for injuries caused by intoxicated patrons. According to 47 P.S. § 4-497, a liquor license holder (e.g., a festival vendor) may be responsible for damage inflicted upon third parties by customers who purchased alcohol if the customer was visibly intoxicated or a minor when they were served.

Put another way, if a vendor at a music festival sells alcohol to someone who is visibly intoxicated, they may be legally responsible for injuries caused by that intoxicated patron. As such, if a drunk festival goer hurts you, the vendor who sold them alcohol might be held liable in court.

Contact Our Pennsylvania Personal Injury Lawyers if You Were Hurt at a Music Festival

For a free, confidential case evaluation, call our Allentown, PA personal injury lawyers at The Reiff Law Firm at (215) 709-6940.