Live Nation found not responsible for the deaths of 3 campers at Michigan Music Fest

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) — Concert promoter Live Nation is not responsible for the deaths of three young people who succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator while camping at a Michigan music festival in 2021, it said state court of appeals.

Families of the victims said the small campsites at Faster Horses contributed to the dangerous conditions. But the court, in a 2-1 opinion, said the fault did not lie with Live Nation, which managed the weekend’s country music event.

“Live Nation had no common law duty to monitor the plaintiffs’ campsite and discover the risk posed by the generator,” the court said last Friday.

Dawson Brown, 20; William “Richie” Mays Jr., 20; and Kole Sova, 19, died while in a trailer at Michigan International Speedway, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) west of Detroit. Authorities said they were likely asleep when they inhaled carbon monoxide. Two other people survived.

Michigan rules typically call for at least 1,200 square feet (111.5 square meters) per campsite, but the highway — known as MIS — was allowed to create sites up to 800 square feet if certain conditions were met, the appellate court noted.

Investigators determined that the generator exhaust was vented under the trailer, which apparently allowed noxious fumes to enter. A carbon monoxide alarm inside the trailer was not working.

There was no dispute that Live Nation distributed information to campers about using the generators, the appeals court said.

A Lenawee County judge ruled in favor of Live Nation and dismissed it from the lawsuit. The Court of Appeal affirmed this decision.

In a dissent, Judge Allie Greenleaf Maldonado said a jury should decide the case.

“There are questions as to whether an ‘ordinary person of ordinary intelligence would’ recognize the risks posed by this generator,” Maldonado said, citing Michigan legal precedent.

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