1. Sports Law
By: George Carlton

2. What is Sports Law?
 Sports law is an all-
encompassing term
that describes the law
and how it relates to
sports.
 Sports Law can
include torts, anti-trust
laws, constitutional,
trademark, and many
other legal issues.

3. Torts Law and its relation to Sports
Law
 Majority of torts cases
in Sports Law relate
to product liability
and/or negligence.
 The most common
examples of these are
sports related injuries
caused by negligence
by either a company
or school/league.

4. Why This is Important to Me
 I grew up playing and
continue to play multiple
 This is something the
sports and believe it’s a great public needs to know
way to build friendships and
teach children some life more about in my
lessons. The idea that opinion.
companies are not warning
consumers about possible
flaws with their products and
much worse, knowingly
producing flawed products
that are putting young kids
well-being at risk is sickening
to me.

5. Product Liability
 The term product
liability is a pretty self
explanatory term that
refers to a company’s
responsibility to make
their product safe for
consumers and/or
make consumer’s
aware of all faults the
product may present.

6. So what? Why is this such a big
deal on a national level?
 On a yearly basis,  Chances are you will one
thousands of children, day have a child that
teens, and adults suffer participates in some sort
injuries, sometimes of sport so we need to
permanent or life- make sure these
threatening, that are companies are putting all
caused by companies not of the proper information
fully informing the public out there and taking the
of information regarding proper steps to make
specific products. their products as safe as
possible.

7. Edward Acuna v. Riddell Sports
 17-year old football Inc.
player from Pomona,
California.
 Was tackled, lost
consciousness on
field and taken to the
hospital where he
was diagnosed with a
left subdural
hematoma in 2009.
 Injuries resulted in
permanent brain
damage and partial
paralysis

8. Edward Acuna v. Riddell Sports
Inc. cont’d
 The family claims that
the injuries were due to
a faulty pad on the front
part of the helmet
where Edward was hit.
 In the same accusation
the family claims that
Riddell knew of the
defective pad since
2000 yet failed to
inspect and make
adjustments to their
product.
 The public was never
informed of this defect.

9. Edward Acuna v. Riddell Sports
Inc. cont’d
 The lawsuit is seeking  At the time of this
unspecified damages presentation, the legal
against Riddell and its process is still
subsidiaries for ongoing with no
product liability, and
for punitive damages conclusion reached.
for the manufacturing
and distribution of a
defective helmet
without proper
warning.

10. More Court Cases Against Riddell
 Unfortunately,
Edward Acuna was
not the only case
regarding the safety
of Riddell’s helmets.
 As proven by the next
court case, Riddell
has had documented
legal issues regarding
their helmets since
1995

11. Jose Rodriguez v. Riddell Sports
Inc.
 15 year-old high school
football player from Texas
who lost consciousness
in 1995 after being
tackled and was
immediately taken to the
hospital.
 Was diagnosed with
subdermal hematoma
(like Edward Acuna)
 Suffered permanent brain
damage and lives in
vegetative state.

12. Jose Rodriguez v. Riddell Sports
Inc. cont’d
 Much like Acuna’s
case, the family of
Jose Rodriguez sued
Riddell Sports on the
strict liability claim
that they knowingly
manufactured and
sold an unsafe
helmet.

13. Jose Rodriguez v. Riddell Sports
Inc. Ruling
 The court initially  Riddell questioned
ruled in Rodriguez’s the school’s decision
family’s favor and to provide the players
awarded them $14.62 with reconditioned
million in the verdict helmets as opposed
but was reversed due to buying new
to an appeal. helmets. After the
remanded trial,
Riddell was still liable
for $11 million in
damages.

14. Negligence
 After reading the appeal  The findings were
in Rodriguez’s trial that definitely a cause for
the school might have concern as there were
been at fault I wanted to multiple instances of
research schools and coaches ignoring signs of
coaches to see if they head and brain injuries
were fully doing their part and allowing players to
in protecting the youth continue playing. The one
participating in football. that stood out to me was
the case of Zackery
Lystedt.

15. Story of Zackery Lystedt
 Zack Lystedt was a normal 13 year-old middle
school football player from Washington. He
suffered a concussion in the first half after
making a tackle. At his coach’s discretion, he
was allowed to play in the second half in which
he endured multiple more traumatic hits to the
head which led to brain swelling and resulted in
“Second Impact Syndrome”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5aoc08U7xs

16. Story of Zackery Lystedt cont’d.
 Flown to the nearest
hospital that could treat him.
 Surgeons were able to
reduce brain swelling but
were unable to prevent
Zackery from being
permanently disabled.
 Zack spent a total of 93
days and took him 9 months
to speak again.
 The neurosurgeon said if
Zackery was taken out after
the first tackle, he would not
be permanently disabled.

17. Zackery Lystedt Story cont’d
 Today, after 5 years of
rehabilitation, Zackery is able to
perform most functions that a
normal 18 year-old can despite his
permanent brain damage. Despite
taking 3 years after his injury to
even stand up, Zackery is
beginning to walk again with the
help of a cane.
 In 2011, with the help of his
friends, Zackery was able to walk
across the stage at his high school
graduation.

18. The Zackery Lystedt Law
 Although there were
no formal charges
filed against his
coach, the efforts of
the Lystedt family and
the town of Tahoma
Creek, Washington
led to the passing of
the Zackery Lystedt
Law which provided
young athletes that
showed signs of
concussions with
protection.

19. The Zackery Lystedt Law
 If a player shows symptoms
of a concussion they MUST
be removed from the game.
 They may not return to
practice or a game until they
have been cleared by a
“licensed health care
professional”.
 The law was passed
unanimously and put into
effect in Washington on May
13th, 2009.

20. Nationwide Effects of the Zackery
Lystedt Law
 The National Football
League and
Commissioner Roger
Goodell led the
nationwide support of the
Zack Lystedt law and led
the movement to get this
put into law in all 50
states.
 Today, the Zackery
Lystedt Law is in effect in
34 of 50 states with many
more sure to come.

21. Conclusion
 I believe we as a society  Sports are becoming
have a responsibility to
make playing sports for safer and safer
young athletes as safe as everyday but we need
possible. Whether it be to continue the path
providing them with the we have set and
best safety equipment or
making sure they are make sure these
healthy before taking the companies are not
field, we have to make knowingly putting out
sure we do not have any
more cases like the ones defective gear.
presented.

22. Sources
 http://www.nhbar.org/uploads/pdf/BJ-Autumn2011-Vol52-No3-Pg26.pdf
 http://www.morelaw.com/verdicts/case.asp?n=B-CV-96-177&s=TX&d=6585
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb6Bm5skuBA
 http://www.salient-news.com/2010/08/high-school-football/
 http://www.traumatic-brain-injury-lawfirm.com/acuna_lawsuit.php
 http://usafootball.com/news/featured-articles/three-years-later-lystedt-law-protects-young-athletes-34-states-and-
dc
 http://www.sportsconcussions.org/signing-lystedt-law.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5aoc08U7xs
http://www.nflevolution.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/610_250_Zac.jpg
http://www.seeklogo.com/images/R/Riddell-logo-3D735E7E1C-seeklogo.com.gif
http://www.nlelaw.com/three-years-later-where-is-the-zackery-lystedt-law/