Ultra Sued For $10 Million

Ultra Music Festival and others are targets of a $10 million lawsuit filed by a private security guard who was trampled by gatecrashers at the Miami, Fla., event in March. Erica Mack names as defendants the festival, its organizers, vendors and the City of Miami in the suit filed Oct. 27 in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court.

Mack claims that Miami police warned festival organizers that fencing around the events in Bayfront Park was inadequate, just hours before a March 28 stampede crashed through a section she was patrolling and trampled over a fence as she was pinned beneath. Specifically, police had called for strong, reinforced G8 fencing to be installed in the area Mack was to patrol.

Her complaint alleges it was either removed or never placed at the request of a beverage company that sought easier ingress and egress for vehicles. Photos taken after the stampede show her on the ground with trampled chain-link fencing around her. When she was discovered, Mack was unconscious, bleeding from both ears and suffering major head trauma, a fractured skull and shattered leg. She was hospitalized for about two weeks, sustaining “permanent and substantial injuries and disfigurement.” She underwent several surgeries and other medical procedures, according to the complaint.

Mack reportedly is still undergoing rehabilitation for her injuries. Miami police chief Manuel Orosa told local WPLG-TV that the critical injuries Mack suffered could have been avoided if the proper fencing had been used. But Ultra issued a statement in anticipation of the court filing, calling Mack’s injuries the result of “an unfortunate accident” rather than an avoidable one.

“We continue to wish Ms. Mack the best for her future and hope she has made a full and complete recovery, but the complaint her lawyers have now filed as part of a lawsuit does not properly recite the facts of the unfortunate accident. Without question, event organizers believe that the incident was caused by illegal actions of unknown third parties for which it is not responsible,” the statement reads in part. Attorney Eric Isicoff, who represents Mack, told WLRN-FM the statement was “offensive,” adding he was surprised Ultra would try to pass off responsibility to unknown gatecrashers.

“I’m very disappointed in the statement they issued,” he said. “It really doesn’t make any sense.”

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