In 2016, Paul van Dyk fell off the A State of Trance festival stage which caused a serious concussion and cracked vertebrae. He was forced to cancel all upcoming shows due to injuries. He was in recovery for 3 months. Based on his injuries, it was a miracle he is able to recover as much as he did and continue to play shows.
Paul van Dyk told AFP in New York, “I was in a coma and when I woke up I wasn’t able to do anything. So whatever I do now is to me a miracle, a gift.” He also rediscovered a new appreciation for life, stating, “I am closer to myself and to my music than I have ever been. Simply because there is a certain element of myself that sees life very differently.”
The $12 million award included $2 million for future medical expenses, $1.2 million for lost profits in 2016 and 2017, and $2.475 million for losses in the next decade. It also awarded him an extra $5.5 million for other damages.
The court order from September 2018 stated that the organizers, ALDA Events, did not design the stage to be safe to stand on. They even admitted the front area was not safe but gave no warning to the DJ prior to his show. However, ALDA now seek to overturn the ruling. They claim Paul van Dyk never signed an underlying contract to perform at the 2016 music festival. ALDA states Paul van Dyk doesn’t have legal standing to receive the awarded amount, nor enforce it.
“The fact that petitioner Paul is a non-signatory and a non-party means that the arbitration agreement doesn’t extend to him, and no agreement to arbitrate exists between him and Alda.”
You can view the full opposition filing below:
matthias_paul_v_alda_opposition