Professional teams in New Jersey and across the nation are watching for the outcome of a lawsuit against the Buffalo Bills. After an intoxicated man was thrown out of a football game in Nov. 2012, he fell into water and drowned. His family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit related to premises liability because of fencing and poor lighting at the scene of his death.
The victim's family named Erie County in the lawsuit since they own the stadium where the Bills play. They say that the county needs to ensure the safety of those who attend games, even if they are ejected. In addition, the man supposedly called his brother, who was still inside the stadium, after the incident and told him what happened. The two planned to meet at a bar when the game ended. A jury might not hold Erie County responsible for the man's safety since his own brother didn't feel it was necessary to leave the game and come to the aid of his sibling.
Since the lighting and fencing is also an issue, the best argument for the plaintiffs might be the safety conditions around the stadium. When intoxicated patrons attend sporting events, the stadium faces a challenging dilemma. If they don't ask the fan to leave, another fan could suffer an injury due to unruly behavior. If they keep the fan at the stadium until they are sober or until they have a ride to safety, they could be accused of holding someone against their will. However, if they let the fan leave and they get hurt, they run the risk of a lawsuit.
When someone attends a public sporting event, they have the right to assume they will be safe while on the premises. Should they suffer injury or death, our Woodbridge premises liability attorney might be able to file a lawsuit for financial compensation.