A South Dakota man has sued the Sioux Falls School District and the South Dakota High School Activities Association after he was hit in the face with a discus at a track meet in May of 2019.
Plaintiff Michael Moses and his family were attending the meet in support of another family member, who was competing in the discus event. Moses alleged that he was standing five to six feet behind the rope line as he watched the event. “As one of the young women competing at the meet threw her discus, she let it go too early and the discus flew far to the right of the discus landing sector,” according to the lawsuit.
Moses claimed that the discus “sailed through the air to the area designated for spectators” and struck him in the face, after which he fell and lost consciousness.
Moses lost teeth and had to have his jaw reset. His nose was broken, and he was diagnosed with a possible concussion, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiff has to have extensive surgery.
As a result of the incident, Moses missed work and needed six months of physical therapy. He incurred substantial medical and dental bills, and had to “contend with his disfigured appearance,” according to the lawsuit.
Moses alleged negligence, claiming the defendants had a duty to provide reasonable care to spectators, such as “setting up the discus cage, laying out correct sector lines, and designating spectator viewing areas to accommodate the safe viewing.”
