After the tragedy that rocked SXSW earlier this year, the first lawsuit has been officially filed in it’s wake. Filed on December 18th in San Antonio Texas, the lawsuit outlines safety lapses conducted by the festival that resulted in 4 dead and several critically injured.
According to the lawsuit, festival organizers cut corners on traffic safeguards and did not properly prepare for the attendees that turned out. With over 2000 live acts scheduled through out the week, the lawsuit claims that “A festival organizer or traffic design consultant of ordinary intelligence would have anticipated the danger,” says Factmag.
The lawsuit is being filed by the families of the victims lost in the drunk driving tragedy and although they have not issued a statement, their lawyer has stated the following:
“What happened on Red River was a terrible tragedy, caused by Rashad Owen’s utter disregard of human life. Our hearts continue to ache for those injured and the families of those who lost their lives. We look forward to his prosecution for his awful crimes.”
SXSW will return this March but the outcome of these lawsuits should result in significant changes to the festival operations. You can read the full story here: Factmag
