Liability Issues and Venue/Event Operations

Abstract

Sport venues are integral to the operation of safe and successful sporting events, thus several legal principles germane to safely and effectively operating sport facilities are covered in this chapter. Specifically, the concept of premise liability is presented. Premise liability describes the area of law that specifies the legal duties owed by a landowner or operator to safely operate their premises to prevent injuries to guests and visitors. This chapter provides an overview as to the duty of care and the nature or status of the guest such as the business invitee, licensees, and trespassers. Venue and event operators have a number of legal and managerial mechanisms to avoid liability for injuries occurring on their premises and this chapter explores common defenses including the open and obvious defense, the distraction doctrine, and the recreational use defense. This chapter also examines a number of specific duties facility and event managers must understand and appreciate to safely operate their venues and events such as design, warnings, inspections, repair and maintenance, and medical assistance. Lastly, the chapter emphasizes the duty to protect spectators by having effective crowd control and alcohol management policies and recognizing the risks associated with projectiles in some sports (bats, baseballs, hockey pucks, etc.) as well as risks arising in the context of promotional activities.