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Who says there can't be hockey news without a hockey season? A judge ruled that Gyongyi Tokolyi can sue Madison Square Garden for the injuries she suffered during a Rangers-Red Wings game. Tokolyi's injuries included a broken nose, fractured bones under her eye, and a cut that required 15 stitches. The Garden claims that they already had adequate protection for fans in place while Tokolyi contends otherwise, saying the public was not given sufficient warning.
The accident happened one day before Brittanie Cecil, 13, was struck during a Columbus Blue Jackets game. She died two days later from an internal injury caused by a deflected hockey puck that struck her in the head. Brittanie's family settled for $1.2 million and the NHL has since added netting to the area behind the goals.
Can Tokolyi reasonably ask for $10 million for her damages and $1 million for her husband's loss of companionship, if a girl actually died and settled for $1.2 million? It was the couple's first trip to a hockey game. Gothamist always thought that the fine print on the back of tickets protected teams and the arenas. That, and to pay attention to the actual game, but it looks like times have changed.
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any organization can write anything they want in small print on the back of a ticket--it does not mean that what they write is legal. If you live in a rent stab apt and the LL gets you to sign a lease saying that you will pay more money than the legal rent and putting restrictions on you that the rent stab laws do not allow, those portions of the lease are void. also, those signs at stores telling you that you MUST check your bag but that the store is not responsible for lost or stolen checked bags are also bs-- if a store requires you to check your bag to enter, then they do have some liability for your bag under law.
Fans attending sporting games assume a reasonable risk that they may be hit by a ball or puck from the game. The venue of course has to make reasonable efforts to protect fans, but a fan hit by an errant fly ball can't sue. Fans have a reasonable expectation of something like that happening. Getting hit by a puck is similar, and the fan is likely to lose if the venue took reasonable measures to protect the fans. However, being a corporation, a venue will make rational business decisions and it may be a rational business decision to settle a case instead of litigating. Also, a settlement amount in one case in no way effects a potential damages award by a court in another.
The Garden announcer says before every game that people should be alert because "pucks can be propelled from the ice". Whether you choose to pay attention or not is up to you, but the warning is there. It's hockey, for pete's sake, not nerfball.
As rangerblue says, the warning is announced at the start of every game. I have to wonder how one can NOT be aware of the risks inherent in attending any event that involves projectiles and large crowds.
I was at that game - Wings v. Rangers on St Patrick's Day in 2002 - and I'm actually wracking my brain to remember this incident. If she was that badly hurt, I mean, I think I would remember the medics rushing in, but perhaps not.
I think it's crap.
Hey, may be I can add something to this conversation...When I was about ten I went to a Ranger-Redwings hockey game; sitting in the tenth row, two minutes into the game, the hockey puck deflected off of Richter's stick and hit me right in the face. The puck was going about 90 MPH and I was rushed to the hospital. I was issued a settlement amount by the Rangers Orginization.