Running back plans to sue after fall on concrete in stadium
Personal injury compensation includes three main areas: medical costs, pain and suffering, and lost income. This gives rise to one of the quirks of personal injury law, namely that for two individuals who have suffered the exact same injury, the one with the higher income is going to receive more compensation.
In the case of a pro football player who suffers a season-ending injury, this compensation can be very large indeed. Fortunately, in the case currently making headlines the injury occurred on stadium property where the owners no doubt have appropriate insurance coverage to pay for it.
San Francisco Running Back to Sue City of St Louis
During a recent game in St Louis, San Francisco 49ers running back Reggie Bush slipped and fell on some concrete behind the team bench. There seems to be strong evidence that this concrete was a hazard and that the stadium owners should have known about it—another player slipped and fell on it just a week before Bush did.
Unfortunately, Bush suffered a knee injury serious enough to end his season, and all reports indicate that he plans to sue the city of St Louis for his medical bills, his pain and suffering, and his projected lost income.
Bush’s lost income has the potential to total multiple millions of dollars, but calculating it will be a bit trickier than in your typical personal injury case. Bush already signed a one-year contract with the 49ers for $2.5 million. Even though he cannot play, he will get paid—as is standard procedure for NFL contracts. So Bush actually needs compensation for income he would have earned on his NEXT contract.
For most people, lost earning potential would be calculated simply by taking their current base salary and multiplying it by the time they are expected to be out of work. But Bush no doubt hoped to do more than just secure another $2.5 million contract for next year. If he had been able to play this season, and if he had performed well, he could have been in the running for a big free-agency contract. For example, a similar player recently signed a 3-year, $12 million contract. Bush’s attorneys will no doubt have to work hard to establish what Bush could have reasonably expected to earn after this season and prove that he deserves to have the stadium owners pay it.
Have You Been Injured in a Slip and Fall Accident?
Although you may not be a famous football player facing the potential loss of millions of dollars in income, nonetheless your slip and fall injury deserves to be taken seriously. You can get a serious, dedicated, and aggressive attorney on your side by calling 909-982-0707 and requesting a meeting with Fernando D. Vargas.
