New Yorkers are lucky enough to have lots of opportunity to attend football games. With games underway, thousands of fans are already heading to stadiums around the state to watch their favorite team battle it out on the field. Unfortunately, fans also face a risk of trips, slips and falls at stadiums.
Learn how to prevent slips and falls at football games this season. But if you do suffer an injury, contact us to go over premises liability and your eligibility to recover damages.
Avoid Distractions to Prevent Slips and Falls at Football Games
To prevent injuries in a slip and fall accident while you’re watching your favorite team, don’t get so distracted that you trip over a step while heading to your seat, the restroom, the concession stand, or leaving after the game. Put your phone away while you’re walking around the stadium.
As tempting as it can be to look around and admire the stadium, find a safe spot to do so or wait until you arrive at your seat. If you’re looking up at the in-stadium screen, you might not see a step and could trip and fall, seriously injuring yourself.
Beware of Spills and Alert Staff of Unmarked Spills
People consume food and drinks at every football game in New York. This leads to a risk of spills, which can create slipping hazards. When you’re walking around the stadium, beware that the floor might be – and in some cases is even likely to be – wet. Watch for ‘Wet Floor’ signs, and tell stadium staff if you notice an unmarked spill so they can mark and/or clean it up.
Areas that are often wet include restroom floors and the area around concession stands. The space around a garbage bin might also be wet as people sloppily dispose of drinks.
Wear Slip-Resistant Shoes to Prevent Slip and Falls at Football Games
As noted above, stadium floors tend to be wet and slippery. So plan ahead by wearing slip-resistant shoes to the game. As tempting as it might be to wear your favorite, worn-in shoes or sandals, remember that traction can help you prevent a serious slip and fall.
Avoid Belligerent Fans to Prevent Falls at Football Games
Football games have plenty of rowdy and screaming fans. But there’s a difference between a passionate fan who’s cheering loudly for his team, and a belligerent, obnoxious one who’s behaving inappropriately.
If you notice a fan behaving in an inappropriate and obnoxious manner, alert stadium security and keep your distance. The fan may be intoxicated and could bump into and even shove other fans, causing dangerous falls.
If You Slip and Fall at a Stadium in New York, You May Recover Damages
Unfortunately, even if you follow all of these tips for how to prevent slip and falls at football games, you may not completely eliminate your risk. Negligent property management might cause a serious accident.
The owner of a football stadium has the duty to maintain a safe property for visitors and guests who use the property. If the owner or property manager is negligent in fulfilling that duty, that party may be liable for any slip and fall accidents that result from a hazard on the property. For example, failure to provide adequate warning of a spill – within a reasonable amount of time after the spill – could be negligent. If a fan slips on it and suffers a neck injury, the property manager might be liable.
If you’re ever in an accident because of a property owner’s negligence, contact Gacovino, Lake & Associates to start the process, we can do the following.
- Set up a consultation to discuss how you can identify the parties liable for your injuries
- Discuss the damages you may recover
- Tell you all about premises liability law as it applies to your case
Call 800-550-0000 or fill out our online contact form to schedule your appointment with a lawyer at our firm.
