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Some sports may pose dangers to the players on the field, but the fans in the stands should always be kept safe at a sporting event. The players and teams, as well as the owners and operators of stadiums and arenas, have a duty to keep people safe from dangers at the stadium and to prevent unnecessary injuries to spectators from events that happen on the field or court. If they fail to keep a fan safe, the injured spectator may have grounds to sue them for financial compensation.
If you or a loved one was injured at a sporting event in Texas, call our Houston, TX attorneys for injuries at a sporting event. The Queenan Law Firm’s experienced injury lawyers represent victims and fight to get them compensation for pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages, and other damages related to their injuries. For a free legal consultation on your sporting event injury case, call our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.
Grounds for Suing for Injuries at a Game
When you attend a game – whether it be a local high school football game or a professional baseball game – there are a few people who have a duty to keep you safe. First, the owners and operators of the stadium, arena, field, or other venue have a duty to their guests – especially their paying customers – to keep the premises clean and safe. The players, coaches, and team staff also have a duty to avoid reckless or unnecessary play that might injure spectators. The other fans in the audience also have a duty to avoid intentionally injuring each other.
Many injuries occur at sporting events when one of these duties is breached. In a court of law, a breach of duty that causes another person injury is known as “negligence,” and it is typically the grounds for holding someone liable for injuries you sustain at a sporting event. Lawsuits for negligence might entitle you to substantial financial compensation.
Injuries at a game can occur in many ways, but some of the following are the most common ways that people get hurt while attending sporting events:
- Slipping and falling on a spill
- Tripping on the stadium stairs
- Injuries from fights in the stands
- Getting hit by a baseball
- Getting hit by a basketball player while sitting courtside
- Falls from stands with insufficient guardrails
- Injuries from recklessly thrown equipment
If you were hurt in any of these ways or suffered another injury at a sporting event, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit against the responsible parties to seek compensation for the damages you faced.
Damages for Injuries at a Professional Sporting Event
The damages that you can claim in your case are closely tied to the facts of your case. Generally, the injuries and effects of the injury are the core factors that define what damages you can claim and how much they are worth.
Most injuries serious enough to sue for require medical attention. If you suffered a head injury, back injury, or neck injury, you could need serious medical attention to ensure that you did not suffer further injury or to treat any deeper harm you faced. The cost of ongoing medical care to treat severe injuries can be expensive, and these costs should be covered in full as part of your compensation.
If your injury caused you to miss work, you might be entitled to lost wages. These damages pay you back for any wages you missed while you recovered from your injuries as well as any lost wages you will miss going forward if you were forced to leave your job or stop working entirely because the injury caused a disability or permanent limitation.
Nearly every injury also comes with some physical pain and mental or emotional distress. The way each person experiences the pain and the suffering of an injury is different, and these damages are closely tied to your personal experience.
There may also be other damages related to your injury case. Because the purpose of damages in a lawsuit is to restore the victim to the state they were in before the accident, you may be entitled to claim any other financial damages you suffered because of the negligence that caused your injuries. This could include the cost of replacing property damaged in the accident (e.g., your cell phone) or other tangible and intangible harms.
You should speak with an attorney about what your case is worth. Because each case is unique, it is important to have someone who represents your best interests examine the case and help you determine how much your case should be worth. It would be unfair to you to rely on the valuation that the sport’s team, the stadium owner, or an insurance company gives you, since they may try to reduce the cost of lawsuits and damages they have to pay. Never accept a settlement offer or any money for your injuries before talking to a lawyer about how much your case is worth.
Call Our Houston Sporting Event Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Injuries at a sporting event may be difficult to sue for. Liability waivers on tickets and other legal tools may be used to help shut down your case, so it is important to work with a skilled attorney to help seek justice for your injuries. To learn more about your options and how much your case might be worth, contact The Queenan Law Firm’s Houston attorneys for injuries sustained at a sporting event today. Call (817) 476-1797 to set up a free initial case consultation with our attorneys.