Dallas Sporting Event Accident Attorney
With millions of Americans attending sporting events and sports venues each month, it is hardly surprising that accidents do happen and attendants, both spectators and participants, can get injured.
It does not matter which sport you prefer – hockey, football, baseball, motor sport, basketball, hurling, or golf – there is always a risk of injury at any sporting event, especially when the owner of the sports venue where the event is held is negligent or careless.
Do you ‘assume the risk’ of injury when attending a sporting event?
“Most spectators fail to protect their rights in the event of sporting event injuries, largely because the owner of the stadium, arena or other sports venue, sponsors or organizers of the event may attempt to deny personal injury claims by arguing that the spectator assumed the risk of bodily injury,” explains our Dallas sporting event accident attorney from the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde.
Simply attending a sporting event does not mean that you assume the risk of injury or harm. Sports venues require vigilance, adequate security measures, proper maintenance, and constant upkeep to ensure the safety of thousands of spectators and fans. Unfortunately, owners, sponsors, and organizers may fail to keep fans safe during a sporting event because these sports venues can be packed full of people, who can cause a variety of hazards any second.
Causes of sporting event accidents and injuries
When attending a sporting event, you have a right to expect that whoever owns the property on which the event is held or whoever sponsors or organizes it will exercise reasonable care to ensure your safety at the stadium, arena, or any other sports venue. “After all, you are paying money to get there, so you might have a right to recover damages in the event of injury,” reminds our experienced sporting event accident attorney in Dallas.
Causes of sporting event accidents vary from one case to another, but the most common ones are:
- Overcrowding, and poor crowd control, which can cause a stampede
- Poorly maintained seats
- Improperly designed or constructed stands
- Lack of plastic or plexiglass barrier or other protective barriers and screens to shield you from balls, bats, and other objects that might be thrown at the spectators
- Inadequate lighting
- Slippery and wet floors and surfaces
- Faulty or broken stairs and stairways
- Poorly maintained walkways, sidewalks, and pavement
- Negligent security measures, resulting in fights, altercations and other types of violence between fans
- Lack of supervision and entry restriction policies to prevent injuries caused by intoxicated spectators
- Pedestrian and car accidents at the sports venue caused by inadequate crowd or traffic control and
- Faulty or lack of railings
Premises liability at sports venues during sporting events
Obviously, neither the owner of a sports venue nor the sponsor/organizer of the sporting event can be held liable for 100 percent of all injuries to spectators, only those that are reasonably foreseeable and caused by the owner or organizer’s failure to eliminate a safety hazard.
There are a number of precautions the owner and sponsor must take to ensure the safety of spectators and fans, including but not limited to:
- Inspecting the arena, stadium, or other sports venue to check for defects and potential hazards
- Installing safety devices to protect visitors and spectators from reasonably foreseeable harm
- Eliminating safety risks and fixing potential hazards before fans arrive and
- Warning spectators and visitors of any unrepaired safety hazards that were not fixed
Whether or not you are entitled to recover damages for your injury at a sporting event will depend on many factors, which is why speaking to a Dallas premises liability lawyer is highly advised to protect your rights and ensure that you are getting the compensation you deserve. Let our attorneys at the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde help you prove that the owner, sponsor, or organizer of the event breached a duty of care, which caused your injury. Schedule a free consultation by calling at (214) 883-1700.