What Does the Bankruptcy Filing Mean for Camp Mystic?
Camp Mystic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization nearly a year after catastrophic floods killed 25 campers and two teenage counselors at the Christian camp for girls along the Guadalupe River in Texas. The move follows multiple lawsuits by families alleging that the camp failed to protect campers and counselors.
Reporters looking for an expert to explain the issues of this case, please see comments from , a law professor at the University’s College of Law and the former head of the college’s pro bono . To give a sense of his perspective, below are some of his comments about the case:
“There is nothing surprising about this bankruptcy filing. Bankruptcy coordinates all of the claims in one proceeding, and provides for proportionate distributions to creditors rather than allowing the early claimants to recover and the later claimants get nothing. Bankruptcy is commonly used in mass tort cases like this for procedural reasons. Plaintiffs can pursue individual cases against non-filing defendants, like the family that owns the stock and interests of the entities that filed bankruptcy. But holding the individual owners liable is much more difficult—the plaintiffs will need to prove that the individuals were negligent in their individual capacity or they will need to show that the entities were not operated in accordance with the law. Usually, the plaintiffs and the bankruptcy debtors reach a settlement,” says Germain.
To arrange an interview with Professor Germain, please email Ellen James Mbuqe:Â ejmbuqe@syr.edu.
