Junior Hockey Coach Sued after Opening Bench Door on Skater

The parents of an injured 13-year-old have filed a lawsuit against Plymouth Canton Hockey Association and coach Raymond Foley after the coach allegedly opened up the bench door while an opposing player was on a breakaway. The boy suffered a broken collarbone and a severe kidney laceration in the incident. Complicating matters, there was another player racing up behind the injured boy to check him and appeared to be about to do so before the coach opened the door, exposing the edges of the corner part of the wall. The suit further alleges that the coach had not indicated there would be a line change and that there was no reason for the door to be opened at that time.

Foley, who coached the Plymouth Stingrays had seen his team fall behind 4-0 and could be heard yelling at players from the bench. At the time the injury occurred, his team was behind 6-2. Making matters weirder, the head coach for the Stingrays was serving a one-game suspension making Foley the interim head coach. The suit alleges that Foley was not adequately trained for the role which is why he inadvertently opened the door and injured the boy.

While the suit stops short of claiming that Foley intentionally meant to injure the boy, it does say that his negligence directly resulted in his injuries.

Calculating Injuries in a Case Like This

Generally speaking, a collarbone injury is one that will, at the very least, cost you the rest of your season. They can be quite painful and make it more difficult to sleep at night. In addition, the kidney injury did not become apparent until days after the initial impact. The boy reported severe stomach pain and the discharge of blood in his urine. The parents will likely have several thousands of dollars worth of medical bills and their son has endured a terrible accident that should have been easily avoided.

As a result of his injuries, he was forced to move down to a lower league after having expected to move up to a more competitive league. He was not able to play hockey, which is something he enjoyed, for an extended period of time and endured considerable pain as a result of his injuries. Given the sympathetic nature of the plaintiff and the unthinkable incompetence of the coach, the boy will likely be compensated handsomely for his injuries.

Talk to a Toledo Personal Injury Attorney Today

The Ohio personal injury attorneys at Lafferty, Gallagher, & Scott, LLC fight for our clients’ right to be compensated when they are injured by the carelessness of another person. Give us a call or talk to us online to set up a free consultation today.