Nashville offers a variety of sporting venues to the public, as the Tennessee Titans, the Nashville Sounds and Vanderbilt University all offer facilities where spectators can view live game action.
With this in mind, recently, there have been an alarming number of spectators injured at sporting events nationally. In June, a baseball bat at a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park struck a woman. She sustained “life-threatening” injuries because of the incident, spending a week in the hospital with an apparent head injury.
Last week, a fan was injured during a Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park when a foul ball struck her in the face. Photos of the fan after the incident showed disturbing swelling on her head. The incident had some of the players in attendance questioning the safety of the fans.
Tigers’ pitcher Justin Verlander tweeted after the game that “more protective measures need to be put in place in ball parks.” In addition to these incidents, in Nashville, Georgia, recently a woman was injured during an event when a monster truck crashed into a fence.
INJURY LIABILITY SURROUNDING SPORTING EVENTS
Although there are injury risks for fans when it comes to attending games, stadium owners have a duty to make sure that all risks are minimized.
This means making sure netting is in place to protect spectators from objects that may fly into the stands, and signs and security measures around the stadium to warn spectators about object risks.
In some situations, injury lawsuits have been filed when objects like pucks or baseballs break through netting or barriers meant to protect spectators. Additionally, we have seen lawsuits filed by spectators who have been injured by uncommon objects going into the stands (bats, hockey sticks, etc.).
In addition to lawsuits filed over objects going into the stands, some common claims made against sporting venues include premises liability claims over slip-and-falls, or injuries caused by other fans.
If you have questions surrounding the legalities of an injury you sustained at a sporting event, reach our Nashville injury lawyer by clicking on the live chat option on this page or by filling out the contact request form.
“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” – Psalms 23:3