Fans Injured At NASCAR Rally Could File Personal Injury Lawsuits

On Sunday, May 26th, 10 people were injured at the Coca Cola 600 NASCAR race, according to the Charlotte Motor Speedway, after a nylon rope supporting a Fox Sports overhead television camera fell from the grandstands and landed on the track surface. Three of the fans had to be taken to the hospital for their injuries. Now, those 10 fans could bring personal injury lawsuits against Fox Corporation for negligence.

Normally, NASCAR tickets have a personal injury clause on the back that prevents injured fans from filing lawsuits against NASCAR speedways. Fans are often injured during games as cars collide and debris flies into the stands. In February of this year, Daytona spectators who were injured were unable to file personal injury lawsuits after a car launched off the track and destroyed the catch-fence, which was meant to protect spectators.

However, during the Coca Cola 600, the 10 injured fans were not hit in the face with pieces of tire – instead, they were injured because network giant Fox had not secured a television properly.

CMS spokeswoman Danielle Frye said that the three people taken to the hospital had “minor injuries that are not life threatening.” The other seven people were treated with “minor cuts and scrapes” on site and released.

The day after the incident, Fox Sports released a statement saying that they had not yet determined the cause of the accident, and it decided to suspend its camera system indefinitely. “Our immediate concern is with the injured fans,” the media giant stated.

“The camera itself did not come down because guide ropes acted as designed,” Fox continued in the statement. “A full investigation is planned, and use of the camera is suspended indefinitely.”

According to Fox, they had used the system during the Daytona 500, the previous week’s NASCAR Spring All-Star race, and other major sporting events, with out technical difficulties or injuries.

“We certainly regret that the system failure affected tonight’s event, we apologize to the racers whose cars were damaged, and our immediate concern is for the race fans,” Fox stated. “We also offer a sincere thank you to the staff at CMS for attending to the injuries and keeping us informed on this developing situation.”

According to reports, the rope not only injured fans, but cars involved in the race, when it fell onto the track. The race was delayed for 27 minutes while crews repaired the race cars. No drivers were injured, however.

“I just heard a big thunk on the right-front side tire and thought the right-front tire blew out,” Kyle Busch, one of the racers, said. “That’s how hard it felt… It did have an effect slowing my car down and I could feel it like, `Whoa, that’s weird.’ I don’t know that anybody has ever seen that. Maybe now we can get rid of that thing.”

Personal Injury at NASCAR Track “Unprecedented”

NASCAR fans face personal injury threats all the time, as cars wreck on the track, and poorly-maintained stadiums fall in. In 2000, more than 100 fans were injured when an 80-foot section of the walkway fell 25 feet onto the highway below. There are several reports of fans being injured by debris flying off the track. However, it is highly unusual for both fans and cars to face personal injury from broadcasting equipment during the race.

However, some reports say that cell phone video shows fans playing on the lines, which kept the cameras safely above the track. If this is true, personal injury suits could be denied.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Personal Injury Lawsuits

The Strom Law Firm is based in Columbia, SC, and is licensed to practice throughout South Carolina, as well as Georgia and New York. As a firm, we concentrate on:

• complex personal injury cases resulting in wrongful death or

• catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), brain damage,

• spinal cord injuries,

• burn injuries, and

• severely broken bones.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an accident, contact the Strom Law Firm, LLC today for a free consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys. We understand that you will need help with medical bills and lost wages, so do not hesitate to contact us. 803.252.4800.