Mardi Gras is an exciting time of year in New Orleans as huge crowds descend on the city for the festivities. However, large crowds present a risk of injury, especially at events that often involve plenty of drinking such as Mardi Gras. 

If you plan to join the fun of Mardi Gras this year, make sure educate yourself on the injury risks involved and know how to stay safe.

Parade Spectator Injuries

The parades draw some of the largest crowds of Mardi Gras because everyone wants to see the floats and catch a unique souvenir thrown into the crowd. Parade spectators need to be aware of flying objects to avoid head and eye injuries. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from rogue beads and harmful liquids.

Further injury risk occurs when two or more people attempt to grab the same item thrown into the crowd. Parade-goers may collide with another person or be shoved. Additionally, strings of beads can easily tangle around body parts and lead to injuries if someone pulls on them. If an item lands on the ground, avoid reaching for it or you could risk being stepped on or tripped over. Instead, try covering the item with your foot and pick it up only when the area around you is clear. 

Crowd Crush

When large groups of people form crowds—such as at sporting events and festivals—there is the risk of crowd crush. This disaster occurs when group panic sets into a crowd and causes mass pushing and stampeding. Research finds that once a crowd has a density of six people per square meter, there is a high risk of crowd crush incidents. It is time to relocate as soon as possible if you notice it’s hard to maneuver in a crowd and are pressed against barriers or other people.

Remain upright and keep your arms in front of your chest to give yourself space to breath in the crush. Try not to push as you make your way out of the crowd, because the crowd may push back and knock you over or trap you in a direction you don’t want to go. 

If you are injured during a crowd crush event, contact one of the New Orleans personal injury attorneys at our law firm. They can help determine if a negligent party, such as an event organizer, is liable your injuries. For example, if no or not enough crowd control measurements were put in place, you may have a case against the event organizer for failing to fulfill their duty of care to you and all the other attendees.

Drunkenness causes some of the most common injuries at Mardi Gras when confrontations or accidents occur.

If you are involved in a physical confrontation that leads to injury, the other party may be liable. Make sure to collect any evidence of the damage and their intentional malice toward you in the form of eyewitnesses, pictures, and videos. Fill out a police report and contact a personal injury lawyer immediately.

Who is Liable for a Mardi Gras Injury?

Determining the liable party is essential to getting compensation for an injury. The liable party often depends on how you were injured.

When a drunk person injures you in a physical altercation or a drunk driving incident, typically they will be the only person liable. Some states allow victims of intoxicated people to hold sellers and servers of alcohol beverages liable for injuries caused by people they overserved. However, Louisiana has laws against this practice.

There are cases when organizations and businesses are liable for an injury. Premises liability occurs when an injury is caused when a property owner fails to maintain expected safety standards.

Crowd crush injuries caused by lacking crowd control measures may make the event organizers responsible. If the event is held on public property, the government may be liable for the injuries, although suing a government body can be difficult as they often have a form of immunity.

Some injury victims may be deemed partially at fault for their own injuries. In a state with comparative fault laws like Louisiana, your recovery amount is based on your own percentage of fault. For example, if you are 25% responsible for the incident, you can only recover 75% of your total damages. However, Louisiana law states that if it is evident that the party liable for your injury harmed you intentionally, then the comparative fault law no longer applies.

Even if you are partially liable for your injury, the party that intentionally hurt you must provide full compensation. A New Orleans personal injury lawyer at our law firm can help you determine who is at fault and to what degree.

Be Prepared for the Risks of Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is a renowned event that brings people together over food, drink, and parades. To fully enjoy the festivities, plan to avoid crowd-related injuries. Leave crowds if they are growing quickly, and contact a personal injury lawyer if you suffer any injuries at Mardi Gras.

At Dudley DeBosier, we can assess your injury claim to find who is at fault and fight to get you the maximum compensation you deserve. Our New Orleans personal injury lawyers are ready to help ease your financial burden on the road to recovery. Contact us for a free case evaluation today.