Man Files Lawsuit Against Lawrence County Recreational Park and Ninjas in Action After Being Injured at 20th Gathering of Juggalos

(BEDFORD) – Morgan & Morgan law firm has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Adam Batton against Ninjas in Action, Inc. and Lawrence County Recreational Park, Inc. for their alleged negligence that led to Batton being injured during the 20th Annual Gathering of the Juggalos. 

The festival is an annual gathering for fans of the music group Insane Clown Posse and other bands on the Psychopathic Record Label.

Lawrence County Recreational Park, Inc.

“We allege our client’s serious and life-altering injuries were preventable, predictable and the result of a culture of irresponsibility that has festered at this event over the past twenty years,” says Brandon Smith, Batton’s attorney.

The 20th Annual Gathering of Juggalos is a large music festival and annual “gathering” of fans of the music group Insane Clown Posse and other bands on the Psychopathic Records label. The festival was held at the Lawrence County Recreational Park in Springville from July 31 – August 4. 

According to court documentation filed Wednesday in Lawrence County Circuit Court, The Gathering of the Juggalos was advertised by Ninjas in Action on its website juggalogathering.com as “the craziest show on earth” and “controlled chaos.” 

Numerous websites, news stories, videos, and documentaries document the history of Juggalo culture and the annual gathering. It is a well known that drugs and alcohol are consumed during these annual “gatherings,” and this occurred at the 20th Annual event. 

Defendant Ninjas in Action posted “Rules” for the gathering on its website, including the following: “NO GOLF CARTS, FOUR WHEELERS, OR MOTORIZED VEHICLES.” 

Smith claims that despite these rules there were numerous golf carts present and allowed during the gathering.

His client Adam Batton was not a “Juggalo” fan but paid admission to attend the event to shoot a video for a documentary he was working on.

Batton arrived on July 31, purchased admission, and intended to stay for the entire festival. 

Batton wanted to use a small motorized bike at the festival but did not do so according to the posted rules. 

But after seeing so many golf carts and motorized vehicles at the festival, Batton believed they were permitted. So on Friday, Aug. 2 he went to Walmart and purchased a small motorized bike to use at the festival. 

Then on Aug. 3, at approximately 12:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Batton was riding his bike between the “Bizarro World” tent and the “Drainer Rd. Pavilion” when he noticed a golf cart with no headlights moving erratically down the hill towards him at a high rate of speed. 

Batton pulled to the opposite side of the road, stopped his bike and got off. 

A few seconds later, the driver of the golf cart, Alexander “Less Legs” Perkins, lost control of the golf cart, crossed the center of the lane, and crashed it into Batton who was standing off to the side of the road.

According to court documents, due to his physical disability, Perkins was operating the golf cart peddles with a baseball bat. 

Smith alleges that Perkins was intoxicated, on drugs or both when the accident happened. Smith also says his client does not drink or do drugs and was not under the influence.

Smith claims Ninjas in Action knew or should have known that festival-goers were flagrantly violating the no golf carts rule, including driving them at night, intoxicated, with improper lighting, and at unsafe speeds. 

Despite this knowledge, they did nothing to stop it or enforce the rules.

As a direct result of this, his client suffered serious and permanent bodily injury incurring past and future medical bills, expenses and future pain and suffering, inconvenience, disfigurement, loss of income, and permanent impairment to his earning capacity. 

Smith says the owner of the Lawrence County Recreational Park knew of the unruly nature and history of the Juggalos Gatherings prior to allowing them to rent the park.

The owners also knew that festival-goers were flagrantly violating festival rules and did nothing to stop it.