ESPN's Linda Cohn Sues Ice Rink Over Toppled Coin Machine Injury
ESPN's Linda Cohn was injured when a coin change machine fell on her at an ice rink, and now she's suing.
The veteran sportscaster suffered a "real deep" wound to her right arm in March, reports The Journal News. Cohn received 25 stitches to her arm that left "a Frankenstein-like scar that looks like her hand and arm were sewn together," and she's suing the owners of the Brewster Ice Arena in Brewster, New York, to recover.
How did this coin machine fall on Cohn, and is the rink responsible?
Injured While Prepping for Promotional Appearance
According to the Journal News, Cohn had been practicing at Brewster Ice Arena in order to face off against minor league hockey players (the Hartford Wolf Pack) the next day. The New York Post reports that Cohn filed a negligence lawsuit in New York federal court alleging that the arena's management is at fault for not preventing the coin machine from toppling onto her.
A social media post from Cohn shortly after her injury revealed that she also believed that kids playing in the arena's arcade knocked over the heavy metal machine on her arm. This may explain why Cohn has also named Steve Santini, a local high school hockey coach, as a defendant in her suit, as the Journal News reports.
Premises Liability and Supervision
Whether you're watching a sports game or just doing some practice like Cohn, the arena or premises owner owes you a duty to keep you safe from hazardous conditions. As Cohn alleges, a sports venue can be found negligent if it violates its duty to reasonable care in preventing hazards from injuring patrons.
As for the high school hockey coach, if the kids were on the hockey team, and the coach had a duty to supervise them, then Santini may be liable for their part in Cohn's injuries. Same goes for any Brewster staff which may have been tasked with watching the arcade area.
Cohn is seeking unspecified damages for her injuries and scarring, but she did not miss "significant time" at ESPN because of it.
According to news reports, Cohn filed her lawsuit in July, but reports don't mention if the arena's owners have filed a response.
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Related Resources:
- ESPN anchor Linda Cohn suing ice rink after coin machine cuts her arm (Yahoo! Sports)
- ESPN's Hannah Storm, Burned in Grill Accident, Returns to TV (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- Erin Andrews Sues for $10M Over Peephole Videos (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- Can You Sue if You're Hurt at a Sporting Event? (FindLaw's Injured)