A Chicago Blackhawks fan has sued the United Center Joint Venture (UCJV), which is a partnership between the Blackhawks and Chicago Bulls, for failing to protect her from an errant puck during Game 1 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals.
Plaintiff Patricia Higgins, who filed her claim in Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, claimed specifically that UCJV, which managed the United Center, should have done a better job of maintaining and inspecting safety nets “in order to avoid injury to spectators.”
The plaintiff was seated, along with her daughter, in row 11, section 115 when a puck was “shot off the ice and struck” her in the face during the June 12, 2013 game with the Boston Bruins.
Higgins allegedly suffered a 1½-inch bone-deep gash, which extended from the bridge of her nose through her right eyebrow. The plaintiff required more than 20 internal and external stitches to close the wound. She has since had reconstructive surgery. Higgins also suffered a concussion, which has affected her vision and her ability to smell and taste.
The plaintiff claimed the defendant was careless and negligent in its installation and maintenance of the safety nets, according to the complaint.
In the wake of the incident, Higgins “sustained injuries, suffered pain, lost wages and medical bills, and will continue to suffer such damages in the future.” She is seeking an unspecified amount of money and legal fees.
Another Blackhawk Fan Suing?
Another suit may not be far away.
On May 2 of this year, another Blackhawks’ fan was hit in the head, this time during a 2014 Stanley Cup Playoff game.
Plaintiffs Gerald and Michelle Green, through their attorneys, have filed a petition for pre-suit discovery in the same court as Higgins, seeking permission for the issuance of a summons in order to identify those potentially responsible for his injuries.
Gerald Green, who was sitting in the ninth row of section 119 at the United Center, claimed that the impact caused “severe neurological injury.” Green allegedly “spent several days in the intensive care unit at Rush University Medical Center, where he was being treated for a fractured skull.”
The plaintiffs sought pre-suit discovery from the Blackhawks Hockey Team Inc., the United Center Joint Venture and the National Hockey League, seeking to identify “persons and entities involved in and documents pertaining to the design, manufacture, assembly, installation, testing, positioning and sale of the netting hung in the United Center to prevent injuries to fans like Gerald.”
