Teen injured at Becky Hill TRNSMT show wins “rare” legal action

A teenager who was injured in a crowd crush at TRNSMT Festival has settled a rare legal action.

Jessica Gatherer, now 19, suffered an agonising knee injury ahead of a show from chart topper Becky Hill. 

The 5’7” hospitality worker – who was at the front of a waiting line - was crushed against a fence after a delay in opening the stage led to a dangerous build-up of fans.

The ordeal left Jessica in crutches, unable to work for six months and she even missed out on a pre-booked holiday to Turkey. 

Recalling the incident, she said: “It was complete chaos. To this day I’ve never had an apology.”

Jessica was injured on the afternoon of Sunday 9 July 2023.

She, her boyfriend and another friend were at the front of a crowd in a holding area for nearly two hours when security guards removed a fencing panel so fans could enter the arena.

But this sparked a surge of movement, and in a bid to prevent the Heras fence panel from falling over, guards pushed it upright against the oncoming crowd.

This caused Jessica to be pinned against the fence and the chaos only ended when her boyfriend and pal pulled her free. 

The trio attended the festival first aid tent before making their way to A&E at Wishaw General Hospital.

Jessica was treated at the fracture clinic where staff confirmed torn ligaments in her left knee and soft tissue damage throughout her leg. 

It was so severe she needed a knee splint and crutches for five months and she was unable to work for six months.

Jessica was scheduled to fly to Turkey the following week for a seven-day family holiday however her injury meant she could not attend. 

She added: “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.

“I want the public to be aware of these situations.

“I believe there should be a lot more crowd safety. I need something to be done so this doesn’t happen to other people.”

Jessica’s festival injury claim was settled for a four-figure sum by ESM Operations and DF Concerts, who agreed to pay compensation on a 50/50 basis. 

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 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.”

Jessica’s injury and legal success was reported across national media such as BBC, STV, Mail Online and Glasgow Live.