Nearly one year after high school football player Edward Acuna sustained a catastrophic traumatic brain injury during his school's homecoming football game, his family is suing Riddell Sports Inc. for Los Angeles products liability. They contend that the football helmet that the 17-year-old Garey High School senior was using was defectively designed and dangerous. The helmet that Acuna was wearing has been called "the official helmet of the NFL."
Yet according to his family's Los Angeles injury complaint, the padding on the front of the helmet was defective and the manufacturer knew as far back as at least 2000 that this flaw was potentially dangerous. Yet, despite this alleged knowledge, the plaintiffs claim that Riddell did not conduct the proper inspections and tests to fix the problem.
Acuna got hurt on October 16, 2009 when he was struck by a player from the other team during the 4th quarter of the game. He lost consciousness and was flown to LAC-USC Medical Center where he underwent an emergency craniotomy for brain swelling and hemorrhaging.
Acuna was diagnosed with a left subdural hematoma that left him with a permanent disability, serious mental, physical, and nervous system pain and suffering, and partial paralysis. He also will need medical care for life.
Acuna's family is seeing unspecified damages from Riddell for Los Angeles product liability, as well as punitive damages for allegedly reckless and careless manufacture, design, distribution, and marketing, and the failure to adequately warn about the dangers and risks associated with using the helmet.
California Products Liability
Design defects, manufacturing flaws, improper instructions, and inadequate warnings about the risks and dangers involved are some of the reasons why parties injured as a result of these safety issues and defects may have grounds for a Los Angeles County products liability case. Even if the defendant did not engage in any misconduct by intentionally designing or making a defective or dangerous product, strict liability law can still force a product designer or manufacturer to be held accountable.
Riddell sued over helmet, The Daily Bulletin, August 25, 2010
Pomona Garey Teenager with Severe Brain Injury Sues Riddell for Defective Football Helmet, Salient News, August 25, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Riddell Sports Inc.
The Problem with Football: How to Make It Safer, Time.com
Warning sign on youth football head trauma, Boston.com, January 28, 2009
