Class action suit filed against Falls Festival

A multi-million dollar class action has been filed by 65 people against the promoters of Falls Festival Lorneover the crush at the event on December 30, triple j’s Hack current affairs show reported.

Up to 80 people were injured as people allegedly ran into a bottleneck when leaving DMA’s performance in the Grand Theatre tent. 19 required hospital treatment for a range of injuries, including broken bones.

The suit was filed by law firm Maddens, based in Warrnambool in regional Victoria.

“The allegation is that if proper care and attention had been taken to configuring the area where the acts were taking place, and the scheduling of the successive acts this stampede would not have occurred, that this was entirely avoidable,” Maddens Lawyers’ Brendan Pendergast told Hack.

Falls co-promoter Jessica Ducrou also appeared on the show, to say that the festival is cooperating with WorkSafe’s investigation, and has been in regular contact with the affected patrons and offering assistance. 

She stated that despite the lawsuit, Falls would “definitely be going ahead in 2017”.