A class action lawsuit against Falls Festival following a stampede incident at the Victorian leg of this year’s event won’t jeopardise the festival’s future, a lawyer involved in the case has said.
Brendan Pendergast from Maddens Lawyers tells the ABC that the lawsuit is going ahead, but is unlikely to lead to the cancellation of future Falls Festivals.
“The impact on the festival, I would think, wouldn’t be a development that would put its future at risk. We certainly don’t want to see the festival be put in danger,” Pendergast says.
“Having said that, I think the situation could have been avoided.”
Pendergast says Maddens Lawyers have received “registrations” or “formal inquiries” from approximately 40 festival-goers who were involved in the crowd crush incident, which left 19 people in hospital and over 60 others injured on 30th December.
“Most of the people [who have registered or inquired] do have fairly serious injuries – lots of bruises, lacerations, fractures. And a significant element of it is the fear and the psychological reaction – the terror associated with the stampede,” he says.
Maddens Lawyers is yet to issue a legal proceeding against Falls Festival, but is anticipating that it will “in the next two to four weeks”.
Falls Festival co-producer Paul Piticco tells the ABC that the festival will comment on the lawsuit when it arises. “We haven’t had any official claims made at this stage, we can only respond to any matters when they arise,” he says.
Brendan Pendergast has previously said that the crowd crush incident at Falls Festival in Lorne left a lot of unanswered questions.
“Entrances and exits to the venue in question, barricades surrounding walkways, even the material on the walkways themselves… these were all conditions that were well outside the control of festival patrons,” he says on the Maddens Lawyers website.
“These revellers purchased their tickets to, and attended, the Falls event in good faith that their safety, health and wellbeing would be preserved.”
Pendergast’s comments come as Falls Festival defends itself after another stampede victim shared their experience of the incident with the media.
Music Feeds has also obtained exclusive footage of the crowd crush incident, which can be viewed below.
Anyone injured in or traumatised by the Falls stampede can contact Maddens Lawyers through their website.
Warning: Some Viewers May Find This Footage Distressing
Watch: Exclusive Video Of “Shocking” Falls Festival Stampede
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