Injured launch class action lawsuit against Falls Festival

Sixty-five people injured in a stampede at Australia's Falls Festival in Lorne have launched a class action lawsuit which could total more than $1 million.

Up to 80 people were hurt, including 19 who were hospitalised, in a crowd crush at the long-running New Year's event on December 30 while trying to exit the Grand Theatre tent following rock band DMA's performance in a rush to get to London Grammar's set at the main stage.

Fractured legs, hips, pelvises and head and facial injuries were among the injuries.

The Herald Sun reports Brendan Pendergast of law firm Maddens launched the class action lawsuit in the Victorian Supreme Court, telling Triple J radio: "The allegation is that if proper care and attention had been taken to configuring the area where the acts were taking place and the scheduling of the successive acts, this stampede would not have occurred, that this was entirely avoidable.

“That’s the basis of this action — predominantly in negligence of the organisers.”

Pendergast said damages of more than $1 million could be paid out but it was "very early days.”

Falls' Jessica Ducrou said the event would go ahead at the end of this year and they were cooperating with government body WorkSafe in its investigation.

The festival has been criticised for poor planning, which some say allowed for a bottleneck to form at just three small exits out of the Grand Theatre.

Booka Shade and Alison Wonderland were among the electronic acts on the bill.

Scott Carbines is Mixmag's Australian Digital Content Editor, follow him on Twitter