Valuable lesson learned in court about pregame BBQs
2006-08-26 08:03
by Bob Timmermann
Michael Texeira, presumably no relation to Mark of the Rangers, lost a personal injury lawsuit he filed against the New Britian Rock Cats team after getting in the testicles by an errant baseball during a pregame barbecue at New Britain's stadium, which is called New Britain Stadium.
Judge Don Shaban of the New Britain Superior Court ruled against Texeira, according to this article from Thomas B. Scheffey in the Connecticut Law Tribune on the basis that the "limited duty rule" applied to Texeira even though he was at a pregame event that was more business than part of a game. The "limited duty rule" essentially means that teams have to offer seats that are either protected by screen or are exposed and it's up to the ticket buyer to beware of the location.
The moral of the story is: always wear a protective cup.
I suspect it's like the events they hold at Pawtucket. The PawSox have a picnic area along side the rightfield foul area. There are some bleachers (like what you'd find at a high school field), a tent, and a bunch of picnic tables. They rent the area out to organizations and businesses for pre-game BBQs and picnics. You're right up close to the action so it can be a great place to watch a game.
(The only negative in Pawtucket is that the sun sets directly behind third base, so the sun is directly in your eyes as sunset approaches. Back before they expanded the stadium to meet AAA requirements, the area was on the third base side, and was probably the best place to watch a ballgame in the entire recorded history of mankind.)
(The only negative in Pawtucket is that the sun sets directly behind third base, so the sun is directly in your eyes as sunset approaches. Back before they expanded the stadium to meet AAA requirements, the area was on the third base side, and was probably the best place to watch a ballgame in the entire recorded history of mankind.)
It had a football in the groin.
You would need a couple shots of the "curvy" barmaid, but Sam the Man would fit it in.
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