Death of Thousand Oaks Man at Rave Investigated
I’m Ed Smith, a Thousand Oaks personal injury lawyer. A Thousand Oaks man died while attending the first night of a rave at the electronic music festival held annually in Las Vegas on June 16, 2017. The cause of death has not been ruled on by the Las Vegas County Coroner’s Office yet.
According to Michael Morse’s wife, he had complained about the lines to get water to drink and about the heat. Later, while standing in a line for a ride from the event, he seized and started having convulsions. He was taken to the medical tent at the speedway where he remained for the next four hours, dying there. Because of the heavy traffic congestion, an ambulance reportedly could not get there to offer help. The temperature in Las Vegas that day was 106-degrees Fahrenheit.
Possible Cause of Death
Morse, age 34, traveled with two friends from Thousand Oaks to Las Vegas to attend the Electric Daisy Carnival. This was Morse’s third year in attendance. However, a heat wave in the Las Vegas Valley may be partially to blame for the man’s death, since his temperature at the time he died was over 109-degrees Fahrenheit. He was treated at the Motor Speedway where the rave was being held.
Dehydration Signs and Symptoms
There are physical signs you can use to know if you are becoming dehydrated. The stages of dehydration are as follows:
Early Dehydration
- Increased thirst
- Sleepiness
- Lowering of urine output
- Dizziness
- Dryness of skin and other mucous membranes such as those of the eyes
Late Dehydration
- Inability to stand related to severe dizziness/prostration
- Almost no urine output; dark yellow or amber color
- Orthostatic hypotension (the person’s blood pressure severely drops when they attempt to stand)
- Fever
- Tenting of the skin such that the skin loses its elasticity
- Confusion
- Lethargy
- Shock
- Coma
San Francisco Man’s Family Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Electric Daisy
In 2015, a 24-year-old man died at the Motor Speedway in Las Vegas where an Electric Daisy rave was held. Insomniac Inc., who runs the EDC in Las Vegas, said at the time they ask fans and attendees to take care of one another. However, it is the responsibility of the owner and the company that is involved in its operation to make sure that people are safe. This includes keeping the area safe from assault and drugs and provide adequate medical care and water.
In this case, the decedent was found, upon toxicology examination, to have consumed ecstasy. While he was responsible for taking the drug, the carnival was responsible for making sure he was medically cared for and have medical transportation to the hospital if needed. As in the current case, the San Francisco man was never removed from the Motor Speedway.
The family just filed a wrongful death suit against the operator and the ticket seller. The family alleges negligence and wrongful death in the man’s death. They said the EDC should have abundant water, a medical staff that is trained and better medical services for a crowd of 135,000.
Liability in a Public Venue
The EDC predicted that 130,000 people were expected to attend the 2017 festival on one night alone, with a total of 400,000 over the three-night period it was held. Despite the drink stands and hydration stations at the event, the company that organizes it may not have provided enough stations to handle the massive crowds. It may also not have limited the size of the crowds sufficiently to provide adequate security, medical care and access to water.
In addition, the inability for an ambulance to get to the medical tent to offer assistance may be blamed on poor planning. Over 1,000 festival goers sought medical care during the three-day event.
When an individual has suffered a traumatic injury or a loved one has died due to negligence at an event, an injury lawyer experienced in event negligence lawsuits can help to recover damages.
Attorney Ed Smith
Thousand Oaks Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Thousand Oaks Personal Injury Lawyer. Those who put on events for the public have a responsibility to keep the people attending those events safe. If you have been injured at an event or a loved one has died due to negligence on the part of the company having the event, call Ed Smith at (805) 372-0200. I can offer you free and friendly advice. For long distance calls, feel free to use the toll-free line at (800) 404-5400.
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Photo Attribution: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Electric_Daisy_Carnival_2010_Los_Angeles.JPG
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