Goal injury suit settled

[nsa]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-soccer21.html

Soccer victim's family to get $2.25 mil.
May 21, 2005
BY ABDON M. PALLASCH Legal Affairs ReporterThe Greater Libertyville Soccer Association has agreed to pay $2.25 million to the family of 6-year-old Zachary Tran, who was killed 1-1/2 years ago by a soccer goal post that blew or fell over on him.
...

[whitehound]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-soccer21.html

Soccer victim's family to get $2.25 mil.
May 21, 2005
BY ABDON M. PALLASCH Legal Affairs ReporterWhat youth soccer club has $2 million dollars????

[blech]

What youth soccer club has $2 million dollars????

insurance?

[brhsoccer14]

Good thing there was no referee on the match otherwise that ref might have had a problem on his hands.

My heart goes out to the family of the victim and I hope they can go on without much pain.

[Gary V]

Good thing there was no referee on the match ...
It was a practice.

[brhsoccer14]

OK, and? I just said good thing there wasn't one there which would have meant there was a game and that that league has refs ref for a U6 league.

[whitehound]

insurance?
Perhaps not the right forum for this:
Do you think $2million dollars is excessive?
How many games or practices had been played with that goal prior?
What are the goals of the parents? break the league, increase awareness?........couldnt these goals have been served by a $100,000 settlement? $250,000 or even $500,000? Dont get me wrong.......I REALLY REALLY checked the goals in my games this weekend and our SRA has already forwarded a copy of the story to our reffs but 2.5 million frickin dollars!!!

[DerbyRam54]

Perhaps not the right forum for this:
Do you think $2million dollars is excessive?

I don't think this is the forum for discussing the amount of damages awarded in this tragic case. It sounds as though this was agreed between the club, the insurance company and the parents. I would imagine the insurance company had a very good idea of what kind of award a court would make.
It's a sad reality check of the responsibility we (refs and coaches) bear when it comes to goalpost safety.
In my relatively short time reffing I have seen some very poorly maintained goal posts and fields, especially at middle schools. While this is disturbing enough, what is more alarming is the number of coaches who still think that a game should be played on the grounds that they have travelled to get there.
The other aspect of this is the burden that coach must surely be carrying.

[schmuckatelli]

Perhaps not the right forum for this:
Do you think $2million dollars is excessive?
Sure, it's excessive, but they had a whole herd of lawyers to pay with it. If it had happened in a match, you can bet they would have sued the ref as well as the league (and probably for more) because we're insured, too. I'm not saying the family was in it for a payday, -- I'm sure they're much rather have their child back than the money -- but it quite likely they arrived at the amount on advice of counsel.

[DerbyRam54]

Perhaps not the right forum for this:
Do you think $2million dollars is excessive?
How many games or practices had been played with that goal prior?
What are the goals of the parents? break the league, increase awareness?........
According to the cited article from the Chicago Sun Times, the family is trying to raise the awareness of safety issues with goalposts. Action is still pending against the city and the manufacturer of the goalposts.
According to the coroner's report, "The 18-by-6-foot soccer goal was designed to be anchored with up to four metal stakes, but those weren't in place that day" I would imagine the failure to use the product in accordance with the manufacturer's quidelines is what triggered the insurer's willingness to settle.
It would be wrong to assume that any time a player is harmed by goalposts we are all sitting ducks for massive damage payouts. In the 1998 case of Zivich v Mentor Soccer Club an Ohio Court found that the soccer club was not guilty of wilful misconduct in failing to anchor the goalposts when a child swung from the crossbar after practice and pulled the goal over on top of himself.
But you still want to be very vigilant with goalpost safety. Check them both, even if they look the same. I found loose bolts on one of a pair of brand new goalposts this past weekend, the first one I'd checked was perfect.

[Laggard]

It's amazing how few centers I see actually checking goals before play starts. Sometimes I feel like the only one.

[whitehound]

It's amazing how few centers I see actually checking goals before play starts. Sometimes I feel like the only one.There is a way to avoid this whole thing! I started playing in 1975 and the same permanantly affixed goals that stood on the fields then remain standing today. The lean ever so slightly though!

[whitehound]

Sure, it's excessive, but they had a whole herd of lawyers to pay with it. If it had happened in a match, you can bet they would have sued the ref as well as the league (and probably for more) because we're insured, too. I'm not saying the family was in it for a payday, -- I'm sure they're much rather have their child back than the money -- but it quite likely they arrived at the amount on advice of counsel.I believe that in cases like this the lawyers get 1/3d of the settlement.

[whitehound]

I don't think this is the forum for discussing the amount of damages awarded in this tragic case. It sounds as though this was agreed between the club, the insurance company and the parents. I would imagine the insurance company had a very good idea of what kind of award a court would make.
It's a sad reality check of the responsibility we (refs and coaches) bear when it comes to goalpost safety.
In my relatively short time reffing I have seen some very poorly maintained goal posts and fields, especially at middle schools. While this is disturbing enough, what is more alarming is the number of coaches who still think that a game should be played on the grounds that they have travelled to get there.
The other aspect of this is the burden that coach must surely be carrying.
I expected the facilities in CT to be better.

[DerbyRam54]

I expected the facilities in CT to be better.
Facilities at high schools are, at least in my part of CT, not too bad. A growing number of schools are installing artificial playing surfaces that, whatever else you can say about them, are free of potholes and rocks. The goals on these fields are usually the dual-purpose type (soccer and american football) and permanently fixed.
The problems are generally found on elementary and middle school fields where maintenance to the pitch is sketchy at best and the goals can often be improperly repaired, not secured etc. Last week I saw a set where the weld between the diagonal stanchion and the upright had failed and been repaired with a piece of plate bolted to both posts. There was a 3/4 inch length of bolt sticking out past the nut, just waiting for a head to make contact with it. Last fall I saw a similar type of goal with a broken weld, the diagonal stanchion was just hanging down at head height ready to spear any player running into the goal. Neither coach saw any reason for not starting the game.

[Bill Archer]

Will two million dollars bring their kid back?