Imagine the electric atmosphere of a packed stadium, the crowd roar, and the anticipation as your favorite team takes the field in the vibrant city of Miami. Attending a sporting event in Miami is an experience like no other, filled with excitement and unforgettable moments. Unfortunately, that excitement can quickly become a nightmare if you suffer a severe injury at a sporting event.
Fans and audience members are sometimes injured by the game or other dangers and defects in the stands. From getting hit in the face with a baseball at LoanDepot Park watching the Miami Marlins play to falling due to a defective railing at the Hard Rock Stadium, injuries to guests and fans occur every year.
If you or a loved one was injured at a sporting event in Miami, you may have a few legal obstacles to overcome before you can get compensation for your injuries, and it is vital to talk to an experienced Miami personal injury lawyer about your case.
If you were injured in a slip and fall, hurt by a stray baseball, or assaulted by a rowdy fan at a baseball game, football game, basketball game, or other sporting event in the Miami area, contact Prosper Shaked Accident Injury Attorneys PA today.
Our Miami attorney for injuries sustained at a sporting event can fight your case and work to get you financial compensation for your injuries. To schedule a free legal consultation on your case, contact our office today at (305) 694-2676.
Where Do Sporting Injuries Occur in Miami?
Injuries at sporting events in Miami can occur in various stadiums and fields where Miami’s sports teams play. Here are some specific names of stadiums and fields where injuries are more likely to occur:
- Hard Rock Stadium: Home to the Miami Dolphins (NFL) and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team.
- Kaseya Arena: Home to the Miami Heat (NBA), this arena hosts basketball games and other events. Also formerly known as American Airlines Arena and the FTX Arena
- LoanDepot Park: The Miami Marlins (MLB) play here at LoanDepot Park (formerly called Marlins Park).
- FLA Live Arena: Home to the Florida Panthers (NHL) and hosts hockey games and other events.
- Riccardo Silva Stadium: Home to the FIU Panthers football team (NCAA).
- Watsco Center: Hosts basketball games for the University of Miami Hurricanes (NCAA) and other events.
- Hard Rock Stadium Tennis Center: Hosts tennis tournaments, including the Miami Open.
Injuries at these parks may occur due to falls, collisions, inadequate field maintenance, or equipment failure. While these venues strive to maintain safety standards, accidents can still happen. Seeking legal assistance from a Miami personal injury attorney with experience handling sporting event injuries is crucial if an injury occurs at any of these locations.
Types of Injuries at Sporting Events
Injuries at sporting events can occur in numerous ways. While security staff and built-in safety features like nets and fences might work to keep people safe, there is always a risk of injury while attending a sporting event. Depending on how your injury occurred, the target of your injury lawsuit might change.
Some injuries occur from events in the game coming out into the stands. Foul balls and home runs enter the stands all the time – and catching one of these balls is a great part of the game for some people. However, these balls sometimes strike people and cause serious injuries to the head and skull.
Other times, people are injured when players go out of bounds, such as if a basketball player dives out of bounds to save a ball. In these cases, you may be able to sue the player and the franchise if their player was responsible for your injuries, or you can sue the stadium operators if their lack of safety nets or fencing allowed your injury to happen.
Many injuries occur because of unsafe premises in the stands or throughout the arena or stadium. If spills or wet surfaces do not have warning signs, people may slip and fall on the wet floors. It is up to the stadium operators and their janitorial staff to ensure the premises are safe and free of dangerous defects. They could be legally responsible for your injuries if they failed to clean up or repair problems.
Other injuries could occur because of rowdy or dangerous fans. In these cases, you may be able to sue the other fan directly for assault and battery or harassment. However, you may also be able to sue the stadium and their security staff for negligent security if they allowed a drunk or dangerous fan to enter the premises or if they let someone in with an illegal weapon.
Other injuries may also justify suing other parties, so you should talk to an attorney even if your injury was not listed here.
Steps to Take After Getting Injured at a Sporting Event
Getting hurt while attending a sporting event in Miami can be disorienting and even confusing at first. You might feel embarrassed and simply wish to move on with your life. However, if you get hurt, the steps you take after your injury could significantly impact your ability to collect compensation.
Here are some steps to take after suffering an injury at a sporting event in Miami:
- Seek Immediate Medical Attention
- Contact Venue’s Medical Team or Office and Report the Incident
- Document details about the incident
- Gather eyewitness contact information and statements if possible
- Take photographs of the scene, including factors that contributed to your injury
- Maintain records of medical treatments, prescriptions, and out-of-pocket expenses
- Follow your doctor’s plan closely
- Never admit fault or give a statement to the sports venue and their insurers without your lawyer present
- Contact a Miami personal injury lawyer
Suing After Suffering an Injury at a Miami Sporting Event
The process of suing for injuries sustained at a professional sporting event often involves a few significant legal issues that you need to overcome to win your case. First, you must prove that the defendant was actually at fault for your injuries by showing that they failed to use the proper skill or care to keep you safe from injury. This could be shown by a lack of safety netting, negligent security, or failure to clean up dangers in the stands. Beyond this, you may also need to overcome certain defenses they may use.
What About Liability Waivers?
When you attend a sporting event, your ticket is a contract between you and the event operators. In most cases, the contract includes a clause that allows them to kick you out or deny you entry for certain reasons, but it also works as a liability waiver that says you will not sue them for injuries. These waivers do not always apply to all injuries sustained at the game, and you may be able to overcome this waiver with strategic legal help.
The sports venue may argue that you assumed the risk of injury by attending the game. For instance, courtside seats carry an inherent risk of having a player fall into you at your seat, and the argument that you assume the risk of that happening might arise. However, even if you do assume the risk, this does not give the players or the franchise lease to cause you injury recklessly, nor does it give rowdy fans the right to hit you or the stadium/arena operators the right to leave dangerous and dirty hazards in the stands and hallways.
What If You Contributed to Your Injuries?
Lastly, they may argue that you caused your own injuries. Arguments that you were intoxicated and contributed to your own injuries or that you put yourself in harm’s way by moving toward danger are often used against injured fans. Our lawyer would fight these accusations or work to claim at least partial damages even if you were partly at fault.
Even if you are partly to blame for the accident and your injuries, Florida’s modified comparative fault laws allow you to seek compensation as long as you’re not more than 50% to blame for the accident.
How Can Our Miami Personal Injury Lawyers Help?
When seeking legal representation for injuries sustained at a sporting event in Miami, you need someone on your side who can go up against large sports venues and their legal teams – and win. At Prosper Shaked Accident Injury Attorneys, PA, our Miami personal injury lawyers have an intricate understanding of the laws and regulations specific to sporting event injuries. We stay up-to-date with any laws, changes, and precedents that may impact your claim.
We have also handled numerous similar cases in the past. Our experience allows us to tackle the unique challenges and complexities that can arise when pursuing claims against event organizers, venue owners, or other responsible parties. Our Miami personal injury attorneys also know how to navigate the tactics used by insurance companies and can advocate effectively on your behalf, ensuring you receive fair and just compensation for your injuries.
Call Our Miami Sporting Event Injury Attorney for a Free Legal Consultation
If you were injured at a professional sporting event in Miami – or even if you were hurt at a local game or school sporting event – contact Prosper Shaked Accident Injury Attorneys PA today. Our Miami sports injury attorney may be able to take your case and work to get you and your family the compensation you need to cover medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering caused by the injuries you faced. For a free legal consultation on your case, contact our office today at (305) 694-2676.