Unexpected Hazards at Football Stadiums

It’s all fun and games at a local city or school football stadium until someone sustains a serious personal injury. Stadiums can be dangerous settings for football fans who come to cheer on their favorite teams. While most ballgames will go off without a hitch, some have involved serious fan injuries and deaths. Watch out for these five unexpected health and safety hazards of the average football stadium, to prevent becoming a victim instead of a victor at your next game.

Metal bleachers and precipitation or spilled drinks don’t mesh well. Watch carefully where you’re walking to avoid slipping and falling in the stands. If you notice a dangerous spill, ask a stadium staff member to put up a sign or clean the spill. If it’s raining outside, wear non-slip shoes and always walk, don’t run, to your seat. Slipping, tripping, and falling down the stands can be extremely harmful, resulting in broken bones and brain or spine injuries.

Slip and fall hazards aren’t the only premises danger fans must avoid. Common stadium injuries may relate to defective elevators and escalators, faulty electrical wiring, collapsing structures, exposed screws or nails, and burning hot bleacher seats. It is the stadium’s duty to provide reasonably safe premises for spectators and players. Injuries that stem from hazards on the property may come down to stadium owner liability.

When you combine alcohol, spirited fans, and the hot sun, you can get a recipe for physical altercations. The word “fan” for sports spectators is short for fanatic. You may see the fanatical side of a fellow spectator for something as simple as wearing the wrong colored jersey. Verbal and physical assault and harassment are risks any football fan may face in the stands. Security guards should be on the premises to quickly break up fights and punish responsible parties.

At your favorite sports stadium, there is always the possibility of suffering injuries from a foul ball. Many might argue that this is an assumed risk of watching a live game, but really it is the stadium’s responsibility to try to prevent these types of injuries. They should install proper netting and other barriers to prevent objects from flying into the stands. While not typically a problem during football games, sports like baseball and hockey can pose significant dangers of flying balls, bats, and pucks.

An estimated 128,000 people go to the hospital and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases every year in the U.S. Purchasing food from stadium restaurants, stands, and vendors is part of the fun of a live football game. Unfortunately, unsafe food handling and preparation can result in outbreaks of food poisoning. Certain foods can become rancid if they sit in the heat of the sun, or collect mold and bacteria. Vendors may not fully cook chicken, or may not wash their hands before handling food. Many things can go wrong in the kitchens to make stadium food unsafe for consumption. The stadium, restaurant, or food item manufacturer may be liable for food poisoning at football games. Stay safe at your next football game by being wary of these five unexpected harms.

Contact our Houston personal injury lawyers today for a free initial consultation.

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