This page within Virginia Tort Case Law is a compilation of cases reported by the Virginia Supreme Court and summarized by Brien Roche dealing with the topic of Sporting Events. For more information on sporting event liability see the pages on Wikipedia.
Sporting Events-Cases
1986 Thurston Metals & Supply Co. v. Taylor, 230 Va. 475, 339 S.E.2d 538.
Basic rule applicable to golfers is that player must exercise reasonable care to prevent injury to others. In this case, defendant lost control of club while swinging and it hit plaintiff. Jury issue presented.
1967 C. & M. Promotions v. Ryland, 208 Va. 365, 158 S.E.2d 132.
Plaintiff injured by police officer at wrestling match while police officer was trying to remove disorderly person. Promoter not liable for act of county police officer.
1953 Atlantic Rural Exposition, Inc. v. Fagan, 195 Va. 13, 77 S.E.2d 368.
Plaintiff spectator at stock car race, injured when wheel came off, bounded over 3.5 foot woven wire fence and into bleachers where he was seated. Spindle on car broke due to metal fatigue; however, car had been properly inspected and was reasonably believed to be safe. Trial court properly struck evidence as to driver and owners of stock car; but verdict against owner and operator of track held proper as they failed to correct known unsafe condition of premises (improper safety fence to protect spectators from recognized hazard).
1949 Whitfield v. Cox, 189 Va. 219, 52 S.E.2d 72.
Plaintiff struck on face by whiskey bottle while attending wrestling bout staged by defendant; defendant had nine employees and thirteen police officers at bout to keep order. Defendant was not required to search his patrons for objects that might be used to injure plaintiff or other patrons.
1944 Virginia State Fair Ass’n v. Burton, 182 Va. 365, 28 S.E.2d 716.
Sporting events.Plaintiff killed at auto race. Plaintiff was spectator. There was ample evidence of negligence on part of defendant as to crowd control, spectator safety, and maintenance of track.
