Spectator Watching People Sledding Assumed the Risk of Being Struck
The Fourth Department determined plaintiff assumed the risk of injury when she stood at the bottom of a hill to watch people sledding down the hill. The court noted that in a suit against participants in a sport, a spectator is held to have assumed the risks inherent in the activity, including the risk of being struck:
To establish the defense, “a defendant must show that [the] plaintiff was aware of the defective or dangerous condition and the resultant risk, although it is not necessary to demonstrate that [the] plaintiff foresaw the exact manner in which his [or her] injury occurred” … . … [I]n a suit against participants in [an applicable activity], a spectator generally will be held to have assumed the risks inherent in the [activity], including the specific risk of being struck’ ” … . For instance, it has been held that a spectator at a baseball game assumes the risk of being struck by a foul ball … .
Here, we similarly conclude that, by standing on the side of the hill while watching other people sledding, plaintiff assumed the risk of being struck by a sled. Savage v Brown, 2015 NY Slip Op 03638, 4th Dept, 5-1-15