An Athlete Injured Me at a Sporting Event. Can I Take Legal Action?

When you attend a sporting event as a spectator, you probably aren’t thinking about the risks of sustaining a sports-related injury. However, a wayward ball, an airborne vehicle, or an athlete could potentially contribute to a sideline injury. If this happens to you or someone you know, here’s what you should understand.

When you attend a baseball game, stand on a golf course green, or head over to a racing speedway, you accept a certain level of risk. Venue operators and teams can only do so much to protect the visitors who come to watch a sport. As long as they provide reasonable protections for spectators, they aren’t liable for any injuries sustained during the event.

Some sporting event injuries are completely preventable. Depending on the circumstances of the incident, an injured spectator may have a personal injury case against a venue, an individual athlete, or a team. For example, hockey can be a physically aggressive sport. Common safety measures involve adding a clear retaining wall and netting around the rink to prevent pucks from flying into the stands and sticks/players from harming front-row spectators. A spectator may have the opportunity to recover compensation after an injury if the venue operators failed to use the appropriate safety netting/glass or repair damaged areas adequately.

In limited cases, an athlete may bear responsibility for a spectator’s injury. Athletes who engage in typical activities associated with a sport typically won’t face liability for any resulting injuries that occur. If, however, an athlete behaves aggressively or fails to act according to the rules of the game, you can hold him or her accountable for any injuries.

After any sporting event injury, venue operators, sports leagues, and individual teams may undertake investigations to determine the cause of the accident and any liability issues. If you suffer an injury at a sporting event, reach out to a personal injury attorney to learn more about your ability to pursue a legal claim. In cases of serious injury or death, you may have a case against one or more parties associated with the event.

Each case is different and requires scrutiny. You may not have a case if an athlete or someone in the stands throws peanut shells on you and causes an allergic reaction, because you should reasonably know that certain sporting venues sell peanuts. On the other hand, you may have a case if a baseball player gets mad and throws a bat into the stands out of anger, causing a serious injury.

The assumption of risk at sporting events isn’t an umbrella protecting all sports venues, safety equipment manufacturers, and teams from legal liability. An experienced attorney will look at all of the facts of a case and help you determine if moving forward with legal action makes sense. In addition to holding someone legally responsible, your case may change the way sports leagues, arenas, and stadiums protect spectators in the future.

While you can’t protect yourself from unexpected mishaps at a sporting event, you can take steps to reduce the risk of an injury. Choose seats behind protective barriers and away from sections too close to the action. Keep your attention on the game to prevent hits from errant balls striking you, and ask for a different seat if you have concerns about the safety of your current seat.

After a spectator injury, always seek medical care and discuss your rights with an experienced personal injury attorney. You may have an opportunity to secure compensation for all medical costs associated with your injury as well as compensation for losses from time out of work and your ability to earn future income. If an athlete or improper safety precautions expose you to an unreasonable risk and you suffer a serious injury, you deserve fair compensation.

The post An Athlete Injured Me at a Sporting Event. Can I Take Legal Action? appeared first on GES Injury Attorneys.