Tragic Thursday death at Reliant Stadium: could it have been prevented?
The Houston accident lawyers at Denena & Points note a tragic death on Thursday during a Houston Texans preseason game. A 45-year-old man tragically fell 60 feet to his death on Thursday night while riding the outside handrail of an escalator in Reliant Stadium in Houston. He and other fans were at the stadium to attend the Houston Texans’ final preseason game. The man was on the escalator with other fans at it carried them from the fifth to the third level of Reliant Stadium. (Sources: T.J. Aulds, The Daily News, Galveston, 8/31/12, and kcentv.com, 9/1/12)
In the wake of the tragic accident, which brings to mind the unfortunate tragedy that occurred when a father fell to his death in a stadium while catching a Texas Rangers’ baseball for his son, concerned Houston parents and fans are questioning safety precautions at Reliant stadium. On Friday, just a day after Thursday’s fatal fall, hundreds of high school football fans were crowding the stadium to take in a Friday night football game.
The cause of the man’s fatal fall on Thursday so far is attributed to a possible attempt to slide down the escalator’s outside handrail. It seems to our Houston accident lawyers that the urge that compelled the manta the stadium to slide is one that could take hold of many another exuberant fan.
If the outside handrails are easily accessible for sliding, and no other safety precautions exist to break the fall of an exuberant fan that might lose his balance, lurch when the handrail catches, or maybe bump into another fan on the way down the handrail and fall, other lives could potentially be lost at Reliant Stadium.
The General Manager of the stadium has indicated that the escalators will be inspected. But our Houston accident lawyers point out that if the danger that resulted in Thursday’s fatal fall at Reliant Stadium results from the outside handrail of the escalator being exposed to sheer drops from high levels, then inspection of the equipment’s working order won’t do much good in preventing future similar accidents.
The Texas Rangers learned the hard way that you can’t always hope that fans won’t take chances with safety. Whether one leans too far over a sheer drop and unbalances or deliberately takes a chance by sliding down an exposed outside handrail, people don’t always see the fatal dangers before they act.
It’s up to stadium designers and managers o anticipate the risks fans might take and develop secure safety precautions to safeguard them. Tragic tales like the demise of the Texas Rangers’ fan’s dad and the Thursday’s fatal fall at Reliant Stadium show designers and managers what can happen. Their challenge is to create the safety features that will prevent such tragedies. Especially at venues where alcoholic beverages might sometimes be sold to enhance the fun of the fan experience, safety should be a primary concern.
Venues like stadiums and theme parks that attract the public have a duty to ensure the safety of the fans they lure to their sites. If you or family member should suffer an injury in a fall at a public venue that was caused by a neglect of proper safety features, contact our experienced and knowledgeable Houston accident lawyers for a free legal consultation. We could help you learn how to win proper financial recompense for your needless injuries and losses from the devastating accident. You can reach us toll free or through our online contact forms.