Easter Egg Hunt Eggstavaganza Turns Madhouse
An overcrowded Easter egg hunt led to a mother’s injuries and a lawsuit in small-town Oregon.
On March 26, 2016, Rachel Townsend brought her young son and niece to an event called “The Hatter’s Easter Eggstravaganza” at the Aerie at Eagle Landing, a wedding venue in Happy Valley, Oregon, outside of Portland. The event, hosted by an event planning company called Red Shoe Productions, was advertised and designed for families and small children to enjoy.
According to the lawsuit, the hunt was supposed to be limited to only those with children four years of age and under and those who had paid admission. An event flyer advertised tickets at $5 per person with multiple time frames set aside for different age groups:
Once the hunt for the four and under age group began, it became overcrowded and unsafe, as unpaid guests and older children rushed into the fray. Ms. Townsend was separated from her niece, then “pushed from behind and knocked to the ground.” She suffered a partially torn ACL and torn meniscus in her left knee and incurred medical expenses and lost wages.
The suit alleges negligence on behalf of the venue and event planning company for failing to properly control the crowd by not providing sufficient personnel to conduct the event safely.
The event’s Facebook page confirmed others had similar experiences. One post expressed disappointment with the behavior of other parents and described the event as “very unorganized with way too many people,” which led to parents fighting event workers, parents pushing in front of children, and an atmosphere of cussing, smoking, and drinking. Another mother told a local news station the event was a “madhouse” with parents running into the field to open eggs.
The suit was filed in spring of 2017 and settled before trial sometime in the spring of 2018.
Here at the Poppe Law Firm, we hope everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday, whether they attend church services, events, Easter egg hunts, or spend time with family. Happy Easter!