Four Eagles supporters who suffered injuries when a railing gave way during a FedEx Field game earlier this year have sued the NFL’s Washington Commanders for personal injuries, requesting damages of $75,000 apiece.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Maryland on Friday by Michael Naimoli, Morgan French, Marissa Santarlasci, and Andrew Collins, all residents of New Jersey. The suit claims that after a game on January 2 between the Eagles and the team known as the Washington Football Team at the stadium in Landover, Maryland, a railing lining the tunnel collapsed, causing the plaintiffs to fall between five and ten feet to the concrete walkway of an exit tunnel.
Defendants in addition to the Commanders are WFI Stadium Inc., the owner of FedEx Field, Contemporary Services Corp., a security firm, and Company Does, a subcontractor for stadium maintenance.
A total of $300,000 in damages have been sought by all four plaintiffs. As per the latest assessment by Forbes, the Washington Commanders have an estimated net worth of $5.6 billion.
According to the lawsuit, the fall caused the plaintiffs to sustain severe injuries, including “cervical strains, muscle strains, bone contusions, cuts, bruises, headaches,” among other bodily and psychological effects. According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs continue to get medical care for their wounds.
The incident occurred after the Eagles’ 20-16 win over Washington. The plaintiffs, the suit says, gathered at the railing to greet the Eagles players as they were exiting the field.
Fans who were leaning on the railing fell into the tunnel after the barrier collapsed, narrowly missing Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was seen helping some of those who fell back to their feet.
Hurts, the suit says, was “the only individual providing care, help and assistance” to the plaintiffs, adding that none of the defendants in the case assisted them. Video of the incident shows several fans falling and nearly coming into contact with Hurts. Several fans appear to pop back up quickly and embrace Hurts, and one man attempts to capture a selfie. Security guards can be seen lifting a railing and ushering fans away from Hurts back into the stands.
Plaintiff Collins told The Inquirer in January that “it was actually insane how calm, cool, and collected he was about everything and how well he handled that situation.” “Don’t worry about me, are you okay?” he asked.
As far as the Washington team knew, “everyone involved was offered on-site medical evaluation and left the stadium of their own accord,” the team said in a statement following the game. The lawsuit alleges that security personnel told the plaintiffs to “get the [expletive] out of the stadium” and neglected to check them for possible injuries.
The plaintiffs claimed that security personnel had informed them that they could enter the area close to the railing and that neither officials nor workers from the stadium had issued any warnings about leaning on the railing. The.
In all material respects, the suit claims that the railings were “inadequate, insufficient, deteriorated, unmaintained, uninspected, and deficient.”
According to the lawsuit, the railings were fastened together with “zip ties made of thin plastic,” but they were not firmly installed and “could literally be lifted out from the rail holding” in which they were positioned.
According to the lawsuit, the incident and the defendants’ subsequent actions demonstrate “a total, outrageous, grossly negligent approach to how to properly attend to” players, including the plaintiffs.
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