Liability of Owners of Baseball Stadiums

Injuries at baseball stadiums occur to both spectators and participants. They may be able to recover for their injuries in certain circumstances based on the negligence of the owner of the stadium. However, the owner may successfully defend against a lawsuit in certain circumstances.

Proving Defamation Damages

A lawsuit for defamation has the following basic elements: (1) making a false statement; (2) about a person; (3) to others; and (4) actual damages (if the harm to the person is not apparent). There is a fifth element when the person is a public official or public figure. In such a case, the person who made the statement has to have made it with a known or reckless disregard of the truth. This article discusses the fourth element, actual damages.

Defamation of a Plaintiff

A lawsuit for defamation has the following basic elements: (1) making a false statement (2) about a person (3) to others, and (4) actual damages (if the harm to the person is not apparent). There is a fifth element when the person is a public official or public figure.

The Eggshell Skull Rule

Suppose that a mugger approaches a jogger on a street, hoping to steal the jogger's wallet. In order to disable the jogger, the mugger strikes him on the head. Unbeknownst to the mugger, the jogger suffers from a rare medical condition that has made his skull as thin and fragile as an eggshell. Therefore, the mugger's assault kills the jogger. Under the "Eggshell Skull Rule," the mugger is liable for the death of the jogger, even though the jogger's death was unintended and unexpected.

Federal Volunteer Protection Act -- Exceptions

The federal Volunteer Protection Act (VPA) grants immunity to a volunteer who causes harm to a person while the volunteer is performing services for a nonprofit organization or governmental entity. However, under some circumstances, a volunteer is not immune from liability for such harm.