The Dave Matthews Band lawsuit arising from the August 2004 Chicago tour bus sewage incident was resolved through several parallel actions: the driver pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors and paid the maximum $10,000 fine, the Illinois attorney general’s civil suit settled for $200,000, and separate cases from the boat operator and at least one passenger were resolved privately, with the band never admitting guilt.1BBC News. Dave Matthews Band Settles Lawsuit2Orlando Sentinel. Matthews Band Bus Driver Pleads Guilty to Dumping Waste in River
What Happened on the Chicago River
On the afternoon of August 8, 2004, a tour bus leased by the Dave Matthews Band crossed the Kinzie Street Bridge over the North Branch of the Chicago River and emptied its septic tank through the bridge’s metal grating. Roughly 800 pounds of liquid human waste fell onto Chicago’s Little Lady, an open-deck architectural tour boat operated by Mercury Skyline Yacht Charters for the Chicago Architecture Foundation. About two-thirds of the roughly 120 passengers were hit. Several reported becoming sick, and five were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.3Chicago Tribune. Dave Matthews Band Bus Chicago
Investigators eventually identified the driver as Stefan A. Wohl, a 42-year-old Texas resident who had long driven for band fiddle player Boyd Tinsley. He turned himself in to authorities on January 19, 2005.4Rolling Stone. DMB Bus Driver Charged in River Dump2Orlando Sentinel. Matthews Band Bus Driver Pleads Guilty to Dumping Waste in River
Criminal Case Against the Driver
Prosecutors charged Wohl with two misdemeanors in Cook County Circuit Court: reckless conduct and discharging contaminants to cause water pollution. Together, the counts carried a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine and up to one year in jail.
On March 9, 2005, Wohl pleaded guilty to both counts. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation, 150 hours of community service, and the maximum $10,000 fine, which was directed to Friends of the Chicago River. His probation and service were to be completed in Texas.5CBS News. Dave Matthews Driver: I Dumped Wohl had been suspended after the incident, and the band’s publicist said there were “no plans for him to start driving again.”2Orlando Sentinel. Matthews Band Bus Driver Pleads Guilty to Dumping Waste in River
Illinois Attorney General’s Civil Suit
On August 24, 2004, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a three-count civil complaint in Cook County Circuit Court against Dave Matthews Band Inc. and Stefan Wohl. Two counts alleged violations of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act, for water pollution and for discharging a contaminant without a proper permit. The third was a common-law claim for public nuisance. Madigan initially sought $70,000 in civil penalties: $60,000 for the water pollution violation and $10,000 for the permit violation.6Claims Journal. Dave Matthews Band Sued Over Sewage Dumping
In late April 2005, the band settled the state’s case for $200,000, nearly three times the amount originally sought. The money was designated for environmental protection and education projects. The band did not admit guilt. A band spokesperson said that while band members were not on the bus, “we have always said that if it was our bus we would take responsibility for what happened.”1BBC News. Dave Matthews Band Settles Lawsuit7Billboard. Dave Matthews Band Settles Bus Waste Case The agreement also required the band to log all septic waste disposal while touring in Illinois for five years, and it contained a provision designed to make it harder for private plaintiffs to use the settlement in their own suits against the band.3Chicago Tribune. Dave Matthews Band Bus Chicago
Passenger and Boat Operator Lawsuits
The state settlement did not end the litigation. In November 2004, passenger Nancy M. Todor sued both the band and Wohl in Cook County, alleging negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Her complaint described waste hitting her eyes, mouth, hair, and clothing and causing severe nausea, vomiting, and emotional distress.8Chicago Tribune. Tour Boat Passenger Sues Matthews Band Other passengers also sued, though the number and specific terms of those cases are not publicly detailed.9NBC Chicago. 20th Anniversary of Infamous Dave Matthews Band Bus Incident
The boat’s operator, Mercury Skyline Yacht Charters, brought a federal case in the Northern District of Illinois, Mercury Skyline Yacht Charters, Inc. v. The Dave Matthews Band, Inc., No. 1:05-cv-01698. A settlement conference was held on January 12, 2006, and the parties reported a settlement five days later. The court dismissed the case with leave to reinstate by April 17, 2006; when it was not reinstated, the dismissal became permanent. The financial terms were not disclosed.10CourtListener. Mercury Skyline Yacht Charters, Inc. v. The Dave Matthews Band, Inc.
The Band’s Donations and Public Response
Separately from the settlements, the band donated $50,000 to Friends of the Chicago River and $50,000 to the Chicago Park District in the months after the incident.11Chicago Sun-Times. Dave Matthews Band Incident Anniversary
Dave Matthews addressed the incident publicly in a 2009 podcast interview. He acknowledged the driver “lost his job” and said, “I didn’t have my finger on the button, but it was one of our buses, and so I feel bad about it.” He said he first heard the news while on a plane and initially laughed before realizing it was one of his band’s vehicles. “I’ll apologize for that as long as I have to,” he said, adding, “I regret that enormously, and I know some people there accept my apology and other people don’t, but I can’t do anything about it now.”12NBC Chicago. Dave Matthews Still Apologizing for Poopgate