From being hit in the head by a puck to diving for a foul ball, people receive all sorts of injuries inside sports stadiums. If you will be rooting for your favorite college basketball team this month, here are some things to be aware of.
Premises Liability
If you hope to win a premise liability case against the person who owns the stadium in which you were injured, you must be able to prove that they were negligent in some way. It doesn’t mean that the floor was slippery and the person who mopped failed to put out the “Wet Floor” sign. It means that the floor had to be unreasonably slippery and that the owner of the stadium knew of the problem yet failed to take steps to correct it.
Proving Negligence
In the above example, we talked about slippery floors. Let’s say that you are in the bathroom and slip on water. Where did the water come from? If a fan spilled a cup of ice water on the floor, there is likely no way that the owner of the stadium will be found negligent. If, on the other hand, the owner knows that fans plugging the commodes with paper towels is an ongoing problem and you slip in two inches of water as a result, you could have a case.
Getting Hit
Now let’s say that you are hit with a basketball during the game. Are you going to be able to successfully sue? Not likely. When you buy a ticket to a sporting event, you probably don’t read the fine print. In essence, what it says, is that you are accepting the risk of injury caused by flying balls that leave the field of play.
The owner of the stadium does, however, have to attempt to minimize the risk. That is why fans’ seats are so many feet around the court. Or, in baseball, it’s why there is netting put up to catch foul balls. If these things are not in place, you may have a case for personal injury liability.
In general, it is in your best interest to act responsibly at a game. Don’t let the March Madness go to your head.
If you are injured in North Carolina during a sporting event, call our team of personal injury attorneys. A member of our team will provide you with a free case evaluation and help you determine how to proceed. Call now.