Stadium and Theater Accidents

When you go to a sports event or the theater, you expect to enjoy yourself. As a spectator or audience member, you do not expect to suffer injuries. It is reasonable to expect that the stadium or theater owner would not invite patrons if there were dangerous conditions on the property. However, people who go to these events may suffer injuries from slip and falls, poorly constructed seats, or even assault. If you suffer injuries in a stadium or theater accident, the Los Angeles premises liability attorneys at Sharifi Firm can potentially represent you in a lawsuit for damages.

Property owners and businesses in California owe a duty to maintain their premises in a safe condition for people whom they have invited onto the property for their mutual advantage. They are expected to either warn of any dangerous conditions or make repairs to avoid injuries to patrons. If you are hurt in a stadium or theater accident, you will need to establish notice, which means that the dangerous condition that caused your injury was something of which the business knew or should have known. For example, if you fall on a broken step on the bleachers, you will need to show that the broken step was created by the stadium owner or its agent, or that it knew or should have known about the broken step for another reason.

More often than not, it is easier to establish constructive notice than actual notice. How long a condition existed may provide proof that a reasonable property owner or business would have investigated and known about the dangerous condition. Sometimes there is surveillance footage that establishes when the condition developed and how long it existed. In other cases, employees or other customers are aware of a dangerous condition and report it, but management may not respond. For example, if a theater seat is defective, there may be records with management that show prior complaints.

In addition to injuries based on dangerous property conditions, spectators at stadium sporting events face the risk of being hit by a baseball, golf ball, or hockey puck, among other objects. Often, a spectator is considered to have assumed the risk of injury by going to a sporting event. However, there are occasions when these types of injuries are unexpected or increased by the business. If a property owner increases these risks beyond what would reasonably be expected when attending a sports event, it may be held accountable.

Theater owners may also be liable if they fail to provide adequate security, and a spectator or audience member is injured by a third party. For example, a visibly drunk spectator who is not removed may assault another audience member. In high-crime areas, it may be important for a theater to employ security personnel to guard against physical injuries to patrons. A person who is injured by a third party due to a business' failure to take reasonable precautions against known criminal activity in a particular area may be able to hold the business accountable in a negligent security claim.

At Sharifi Firm, our experienced Los Angeles lawyers may be able to help you recover compensation if you were injured or a loved one was killed in a stadium or theater accident. It is important to retain an attorney who understands the different issues that may arise in a premises liability lawsuit, and to do so immediately after an accident to minimize the loss of crucial evidence. Contact us online or call us at (866) 422-7222 to set up a free appointment with an injury attorney. Our firm also represents people in Temecula, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Glendale, Covina, and Riverside, as well as other Southern California cities.