A Legal Ruling
A court in Michigan decided that Live Nation wasn’t responsible for the tragic deaths of three people at the Faster Horses festival due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Incident
Dawson Brown, William “Richie†Mays Jr., and Kole Nova lost their lives while they were asleep in a camper-trailer at the 2021 festival. The exhaust from their generator flowed back into the camper because it was set up wrong. Investigators also discovered the carbon monoxide detector inside wasn’t working, although two others in the trailer survived.
The victims’ families blamed Live Nation and Michigan International Speedway, where the festival happens, for unsafe camping areas. They felt the campsites were too tiny to safely use generators, and the companies didn’t do enough to keep the campgrounds safe.
Fans wonder if there could have been more precautions taken to prevent such tragedies.
Court’s Decision
The appeals court, by a narrow vote, said Live Nation didn’t have a duty to check on the campsites or spot the risk from the generator.
Though the campsites were smaller than usual, the festival had a permit for this size, and campers got materials warning them about setting up generators safely. “There is no evidence that the alleged hazardous condition… prevented campers from setting up generators so that the exhaust fumes were diverted above recreational vehicles, campers, and tents and away from camping areas,” the court explained. They believed campers had more control over their campsite setup.
Different Opinions
One judge disagreed with the majority and thought there were still questions about whether an average person would notice the dangers of the generator.
Ron Marienfeld, lawyer for the victims’ families, commented, “As you would expect, we disagree with two of the judges on the panel. In my opinion, the dissenting judge got it right. I am working with an appellate attorney and we are preparing an application for leave to appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court. This is not over yet.†A spokesperson for Live Nation didn’t respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment.
A Troubling History
Since its start in 2013, seven people have died at Faster Horses. The same year Brown, Mays, and Nova passed away, a 30-year-old mother died after partying, and her death was ruled accidental due to health issues. Back in 2015, a woman had a heart attack after taking too much hydrocodone. In 2018, a young woman was hit by a car, and in 2022, a man with a heart condition died in his tent.
Investigations have also shown many reports of sexual assault and misconduct at the festival. A report found 91 assaults and 30 serious incidents over eight years.
