What Happens if I Get Hurt at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville?

Bill Allen | March 24, 2025 | Premises Liability

What Happens if I Get Hurt at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville?

Florida might have more amusement parks and similar events than any other jurisdiction in the world. It is certainly a strong contender for that title. The Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville, Florida is one such event. Although it normally takes place over several weekends a year, in 2025 it took place on a single weekend in January. The fair includes attractions such as a jousting tournament, historical reenactments, and much more.  

All in all, the fair is a lot of fun. Unfortunately, like any event that draws large crowds, certain dangers lurk that can result in both accidents and intentional criminal conduct.

Most Common Injuries

The most common injuries at Lost River Cave include:

  • Slip and fall accidents due to uneven surfaces
  • Head injuries due to low ceilings and stalagmites,

What to Do To Do if You Get Hurt

You might suffer an injury in a slip-and-fall accident, a bicycle accident, an animal attack, or even a criminal assault. If you get hurt at the fair, take the following actions as soon as you can:

  • Move yourself to a safe location, or have a friend, relative, or festival employee move you.
  • Use your mobile phone to photograph anything that might serve as evidence. Even a banana peel might help if, for example, you suffered a slip-and-fall accident.
  • Seek medical assistance as soon as possible, for both medical and legal reasons. If you don’t, you could give the defendant a convincing reason to assert that your injuries weren’t so serious after all.
  • Ask a fair employee or their supervisor to create an accident report and provide you with a copy.
  • Write down your version of events as soon as possible after the accident. You need to write them down while the details are still fresh in your mind. Sign and date it, and write down the exact time of day.
  • Contact your insurance company, even if you expect the fair’s liability insurance policy to pay for your injuries.

You might need to take other steps as well, depending on the facts of your case and the nature of your injuries. 

The three main unique legal considerations that apply to an injury at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire are government tort claims limitations, negligence per se, and premises liability.

Government Tort Claims Limitations

Was your accident the fair’s fault? That matters, because the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire is organized by the Gainesville Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs Department. This makes it a government-operated event. 

Government tort claims involve significant limitations that don’t apply to other types of personal injury claims. In Gainesville, that means you cannot seek more than $200,000 per agency and $300,000 per accident. A strict 180-day notification requirement also applies.

Negligence Per Se

Negligence per se is a shortcut to proving negligence. Ordinarily, if you can prove that the defendant was negligent and that the negligence caused your injury, you can impose liability upon the defendant. Under negligence per se, violation of safety laws, such as food handling regulations, is automatic negligence. 

In Florida, amusement is a heavily regulated industry, and hundreds of significant regulations apply. If the defendant violated any of these regulations, and if the violation caused your injury, you might have a strong case for liability.

Premises Liability

If your injury arose from a safety defect on the premises themselves, the premises owner might bear liability. Owner liability is especially likely if the owner fails to properly inspect the property before inviting the public to attend an event there. Uneven pavement, negligent security, and malfunctioning amusement rides might all generate premises liability claims against the owner. 

Depot Park has hosted the park since 2024, but that might change in the future. The City of Gainesville owns Depot Park. Nevertheless, it is important to realize that other parties might also bear liability for an accident–vendors, for example, or someone who perpetrated a criminal assault.

The legal consequences of an accident at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire can get complex. If your accident is more serious than a sprained ankle, you’re going to need legal assistance to maximize your odds of receiving full compensation. 

Get in touch with a qualified personal injury attorney today. Most lawyers offer a free initial consultation to review your case and provide some preliminary legal advice.

Contact Our Gainesville Personal Injury Law Firm at Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers in North Central Florida

If you need legal assistance, contact the Gainesville personal injury lawyers at Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers at your nearest location to schedule a free consultation today, we’re open 24 hours daily.

We have three convenient locations in Marion County and Alachua County, North Central Florida:

Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers – Gainesville Office
2550 SW 76th St #150
Gainesville, FL 32608
(877) 255-3652

Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers – Downtown Gainesville
621 W University Ave
Gainesville, FL 32601
(866) 928-6292

Allen Law Accident & Injury Lawyers – Ocala Office
112 S Pine Ave
Ocala, FL 34471
(352) 351-3258