When Drunk Fans Cause Injuries at a Baseball Stadium

Baseball season is here. You may be in eager anticipation of sipping a cool beer while the warm sun beats down on your face but what happens when fans drink too much in large crowds in a stadium? Someone is bound to get hurt. Fans can be passionate, but mix it with alcohol and it can get out of hand quickly. It’s possible that if someone gets hurt, they may sue the drunk fan who caused the injury, as well as the baseball team, the beer vendor, and the stadium for negligence, alleging they continued to serve alcohol to noticeably intoxicated fans.

Does one really have a case?

He or she just might have several cases. Certainly it is easy to argue that fans are partially to blame for their own actions, but what about the others? When sports teams play games, they have an obligation to ensure their fan’s safety. This means having proper crowd control, security, and safe conditions. If alcohol is served, providers may be held partially responsible for damages that result from an overly intoxicated individual. Many arenas now have measures in place concerning alcohol. For example, Madison Square Garden trains its staff in alcohol management and has policies regarding alcohol purchase. Yankee Stadium and Citifield have special alcohol-free seating sections.

Every case must be examined and the circumstances surrounding the injury.

Was there enough security at the stadium? How long were these fans pushing, shoving, and acting recklessly without anyone stopping them? Did the same beer vendor continue to serve these fans drinks knowing they were over the limit of what they could handle? Just how well are vendors walking around a stadium able to monitor each of the fans? And for that matter, how much is too much to drink? Some fans might handle six beers without a problem while others might pass out at two. Also, whether sports fans are rowdy because they have had too much to drink is not always clear-cut, as we have seen many sober fans at stadium act just as senselessly.

These are just some of the questions that need to be asked when dealing with injuries resulting from a drunk fan at a sports game.

Over the years, Goldstein and Bashner has dealt with many cases involving alcohol vendors and negligence throughout the New York and Long Island areas. We have helped to see that these accident victims have received compensation for any damages that they may have sustained. If you’ve been injured at a sports event or anyplace else due to an alcohol-related accident, there may be numerous parties liable. Please contact us for a free evaluation at 516-210-4369. We’ll discuss your case, let you know what to expect from the legal process, and answer any questions you have.