A Richmond man is seeking damages from the Vancouver Canucks after he was struck on the face by a puck during an NHL game.
Wayne Chi claims, in a law suit filed at the BC Supreme Court on March 31, he was injured after the puck left the ice during a game versus the Anaheim Ducks game on April 7, 2014 at Rogers Arena.
In his notice of claim, Chi alleges that he sustained serious injuries to his head, neck, back and shoulders. He further claims, as a result, he still suffers from headaches, dizziness and nausea.
Along with the Canucks, the suit accuses the Aquilini Investment Group Limited Partnership, Vancouver Hockey General Partner Inc. and Pacific Coast Arena Inc. of “negligence and/or breach of statutory duty” for “failing to take reasonable care to ensure the Plaintiff would be safe” and “failing to comply with the provisions of the Occupiers Liability Act.”
Specifically, the organizations are accused of “failing to warn or adequately warn the Plaintiff of hazards that the Defendants knew or ought to have known were present on the premises and/or at the Game.”
According to the Canucks’ terms of service, which is written on the back of game tickets, spectators assume all risk of personal injury that comes with attending games.
There is, in fact, a more specific warning on the back of all game tickets, written in capital letters, which reads: “PUCKS FLYING INTO SPECTATOR AREAS CAN CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. BE ALERT WHEN IN SPECTATOR AREAS.”
Chi’s injuries, according to the claim, “…have caused and continues to cause the plaintiff pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, permanent physical disability, loss of physical, mental, and emotional health, and loss of earnings, past and prospective.”
The Richmond resident is seeking unspecified general and special damages, costs and past and future health care costs.
The Canucks have yet to file a statement of defence and none of the allegations have been proven in court.
