New York City, New York (NewYorkInjuryNews.com) — It is a beautiful summer day, you are at the ballpark enjoying a hot dog and cheering for your home team. Then suddenly, a hard-hit foul ball comes flying at you at a velocity that makes it impossible for you to react. Before know it, the ball strikes you in the head and you wake up starring at a hospital room ceiling.
Just one out of many possible scenarios of being injured at a ballgame. Many of you of are probably asking yourself questions and wondering what you should do in the event you are injured at the ballpark. This post will attempt to dispel some of the confusion by answering some of the most common questions attorneys receive regarding injuries at a baseball game and provide you with crucial information that you need to know.
Q: Who is liable if I am injured during a baseball game?
A: When you purchase a baseball ticket, there is an “assumption of risk” in place for injuries as a result of incidences such as getting hit by baseball bat fragments and foul balls, which makes it very difficult to sue the league and the owner of the park. Difficult but not impossible.
Q: What if I am seriously injured during a slip and fall or assaulted by another fan in the stadium?
A: In slip and fall cases, you have to prove something called “notice”. If you can prove that the stadium knew about the spillage and neglected to clean it up, you can recover money damages if you were injured as a result of the slip and fall.
If you are assaulted by another fan at the game and you are injured as a result, the person obviously liable for your injuries is the fan that assaulted you. However, here is a scenario where you may be able to recover money damages from the stadium, the person that assaults you has been disruptive for an extended period of time and despite complaints to security, they refuse to remove him or her from the game, as a result you are injured by his violent actions.
Q: How do I know if I have a case as a result of my injuries during a baseball game?
A: These kinds of cases are very difficult and complicated. You should consult with an experienced personal injuries trial attorney to discuss whether you have a case.
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Contributor: Vito Cannavo – Trial Lawyer handling municipal and premises liability and related litigation.