TRNSMT: Teenage girl injured in crowd crush at Glasgow festival settles 'rare' legal case
The teenager said she was left ‘physically and emotionally shattered’ by the ordeal.
A Scottish teenager who suffered a severe knee injury after being pinned against a fence during a crowd surge at TRNSMT three years ago has received a four-figure payout following legal action.
Nineteen-year-old Jessica Gatherer was caught in a crowd crush while waiting to watch a set by singer-songwriter Becky Hill in 2023.
Ms Gatherer, who was with her boyfriend and another friend at the time, was at the front of the crowd in a holding area when security removed the heras fence to let them into the arena.
The crowd surged forward and in an attempt to prevent the fence falling over guards pushed it upright against the oncoming crowd.
Ms Gatherer was pinned against the fence until her boyfriend and friend managed to rescue her.
Recalling the incident, she said: “It was complete chaos.
“To this day I’ve never had an apology.”
The teenage hospitality worker received first aid on site before being taken to A&E in Wishaw.
It was later confirmed she had torn ligaments in her left knee and had suffered soft tissue damage throughout her leg.
The injuries were so severe she needed crutches to walk for five months and was unable to work for six.
She also missed a family holiday to Turkey due to her injuries.
Ms Gatherer said: “The recovery was really difficult – not just the physical pain but the mental stress of missing out on so much and being dependant on others.
“I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t even clean myself without help – it was mortifying.
“I was just physically and emotionally shattered by the whole thing from the crush to my recovery – there wasn’t a single part of my life that wasn’t affected by this.
“One thing I found really frustrating was the lack of first response care from the festival organisers and to top it off the accident report I filled out was apparently “misplaced”.
“It was the build-up of these things that made me want to seek legal help, especially when I had no other way to recover six months of lost wages.”
Ms Gatherer’s lawyers argued venue bosses did not have the right infrastructure in place at the time, and that the festival staff did not follow risk assessments.
They also said CCTV showed there was an opportunity to let people enter the arena earlier on in the day, which would have reduced the likelihood of a crush.
The action was taken against ESM Operations, G4S and DF Concerts, who all denied liability.
However, the case has now been settled out of court for a four-figure sum, with ESM and DF settling on a 50/50 basis.
G4S was released from the action.
David Wilson, Partner at Digby Brown, said: “Gigs and festivals can be rowdy but that’s precisely why crowd control measures exist.
“Proper risk assessments, trained staff, safe practices and appropriate fencing and infrastructure ensures risk is minimised and music fans – no matter their physical size – are able to enjoy the experience safely.
“Legal actions of this nature are very rare and it’s a real shame Jessica was hurt in the way she was but we’re happy to have helped and hope this reminds all events organisers to just follow the safety guidance so everyone can enjoy the music and get home safe.”