When a negligent campground operator puts profits over safety, devastating injuries can occur. Learn how our Houston personal injury law firm secured a seven-figure settlement for a client who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being run over while sleeping in his tent.
Imagine falling asleep under the stars at a popular festival campground, only to wake up being crushed by an SUV. This nightmare became reality for our client, Ricky Ramirez, at the Texas Renaissance Festival in October 2019. What followed was a years-long legal battle against one of the state’s most powerful entertainment venues—a fight that required relentless representation, forensic investigation, and unwavering commitment to justice.
The case ultimately concluded with a confidential seven-figure settlement, but getting there required over 2,800 attorney hours and a willingness to confront a corporate defendant determined to avoid accountability. Here’s what happened—and what it teaches us about premises liability, campground safety, and fighting for injured victims.
The Incident: A Festival’s Deadly Safety Failures
On October 6, 2019, at approximately 4:00 AM, Ricky was legally camped in a designated camping area at the Texas Renaissance Festival—a massive entertainment complex that draws up to 56,000 visitors per day. While he slept in his tent, a driver attempting to navigate the dark, unlit campground reversed his SUV directly over Ricky’s tent, crushing him against the ground.
This wasn’t a freak accident. It was the predictable result of systematic safety failures.
What Caused the Accident: Negligence and Regulatory Violations
Our investigation revealed that the Texas Renaissance Festival had violated multiple provisions of the Texas Administrative Code designed to protect campers. These weren’t minor technical violations—they were fundamental safety failures that directly caused Ricky’s injuries.
No Separation Between Vehicles and Sleeping Areas
Texas law requires campgrounds to maintain a 1,000-foot separation between camping areas and vehicle parking zones. The festival had no such separation. Vehicles were parked directly adjacent to tents—sometimes with zero distance between them. The campground consisted of rows and rows of dead ends where cars maneuvered within feet of sleeping guests.
No Adequate Lighting
State regulations require lighting sufficient to recognize a person’s face from 50 feet away. The festival provided virtually no lighting—guests had to bring their own. The defendant’s excuse? Electric lights would ruin the “Renaissance atmosphere.” But state safety codes don’t include exemptions for mood lighting.
No Physical Barriers to Protect Campers
Industry standards require campgrounds to use physical barriers—logs, boulders, or posts—to prevent vehicles from entering sleeping areas. The festival installed none. The only protection Ricky had was the thin nylon wall of his tent.
The Devastating Injuries: Traumatic Brain Injury and Beyond
The collision caused catastrophic injuries that changed Ricky’s life forever. Understanding the full scope of these injuries was essential to building a case that accurately reflected his damages.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
The most devastating injury was a traumatic brain injury that caused permanent cognitive deficits, including severe memory loss, slowed thought processing, difficulty finding words (aphasia), and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Unlike a broken bone that heals, brain damage is often permanent.
Spinal and Physical Injuries
Ricky also suffered cervical spine herniations from C3 to C6, causing chronic pain and potentially requiring future surgical intervention. Significant facial scarring, a permanent facial twitch, and broken teeth serve as constant physical reminders of the trauma.
Psychological Trauma
Being attacked while sleeping in what should have been a safe space caused severe PTSD, chronic insomnia, and recurring nightmares. The psychological wounds from such an incident can be as debilitating as the physical injuries.
The Fight for Evidence: Overcoming Corporate Obstruction
Proving these violations required access to the festival’s internal documents, maintenance logs, and security reports. The defendant, however, was determined to obstruct the discovery process at every turn.
The festival claimed that producing electronic records would be an “undue burden.” Our investigation revealed why: despite generating millions in annual revenue, the festival operated with what we described as “medieval” data management. Information was scattered across individual devices with no central system, no backup protocols, and personnel who admitted to having no IT training. The company’s own representative couldn’t recall his email address.
We successfully argued that a defendant cannot use its own mismanagement as a shield against discovery. The court agreed and ordered compliance, stripping the defendant of its ability to hide evidence of negligence.
Piercing the Corporate Veil: Following the Money
Another critical aspect of our strategy involved investigating the complex web of corporations controlled by the festival’s founder. We identified a structure that appeared designed to shield assets from liability—a common tactic among defendants who anticipate lawsuits.
Notably, just two months after our client filed his original petition, the festival underwent a major corporate “restructuring.” Assets were transferred to new entities, and ownership structures were altered. We alleged these transfers were made with intent to hinder, delay, or defraud our client under the Texas Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act.
By threatening to unwind these transfers and expose the company’s financial architecture, we significantly increased the pressure to reach a fair settlement.
The Resolution: Justice Achieved
After years of litigation and over 2,800 hours of attorney work, the case concluded with a confidential seven-figure settlement. While the exact amount remains private, this recovery ensures that Ricky has the resources for lifelong medical care, compensation for his lost earning capacity, and acknowledgment of what he endured.
What This Case Teaches About Premises Liability
This case reinforces several important principles for anyone injured due to a property owner’s negligence:
Regulatory violations matter. When a property owner violates safety codes designed to protect the public, that violation can establish negligence as a matter of law—no need to debate what a “reasonable person” would have done.
Theme doesn’t excuse safety failures. A venue cannot claim that safety features would “ruin the atmosphere.” Modern safety standards apply regardless of historical or fantasy themes.
Corporate structures can be challenged. When defendants use complex corporate arrangements to shield assets, aggressive litigation can pierce those protections.
Persistence wins. This case required over 2,800 hours because the defendant fought every step. A less determined approach would have failed.
Injured at a Campground, Festival, or Entertainment Venue? We Can Help.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured due to a property owner’s negligence—whether at a campground, festival, amusement park, or any other venue—you need attorneys who won’t back down when facing powerful defendants.
At the Law Offices of Colby Lewis, we’ve recovered over $200 million for our clients by providing the relentless representation that complex injury cases demand. We have the resources, experience, and determination to take on even the most formidable opponents.
Contact us today for a free consultation. Call our Houston office or reach out online to discuss your case. We don’t get paid unless you win.
Want to learn more about this case?
Listen to attorney Colby Lewis discuss the Ramirez case on the Crime Waves podcast, Season 2, Episode 7: “Change of Venue.” Spotify. Apple Podcasts.
