Couple Accuse NFL of Liability Foul
By Robert Warne - October 16, 2003Two New Jersey parents, whose Sunday drive to the pumpkin patch was tragically ruined by a drunk driver, have filed suit against the National Football League (NFL).
The accident, which occurred in 1999 left Ronald and Fazila Verni’s two-year-old daughter paralyzed from the neck down.
Daniel Lanzaro, the 34-year-old who downed 14 beers at New York Giants game prior to crashing his truck into the Verni’s car has been sentenced to five years in jail.
But the Verni’s believe the NFL is also liable for the accident for creating an environment conducive to heavy beer consumption.
The Verni’s argue that by allowing fans to arrive four hours before the game begins allows people to get a head start on their game day buzz.
They also accuse the NFL of encouraging beer consumption with all the money spent on alcohol advertisements during games.
NFL does have a policy that restricts fans from buying more than two beers at a time. The NFL also gives fans some time to sober up by not allowing any beer sales beyond the third quarter.
Even with its policies though, there’s no way it can prevent out of control fans like Lanzaro from engaging in reckless behavior.
Howard Latin, a law professor at Rutgers University told SBN that, “Proving that the NFL or the stadium bears responsibility for the accident will be difficult, because the case attempts to stretch liability too far beyond the person who caused the crash.”
"I understand they are searching for a deep pocket," Latin explained to SBN. "But at a certain point, people have to be responsible for their own behavior."
The suit, which was originally filed in 2001, and refilled Oct. 9 to include the NFL, also names NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, Giants Stadium, the Giants, and Aramark as defendants.
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