Father Wins the Right to Sue Riddell for the Wrongful Death of His Son

Riddell Sports Group is a recognized company that specialized in sports equipment specifically for American football. The company was founded by John Tate Riddell. Recently, an Ohio father – Darren Hamblin – filed a lawsuit against Riddell for the death of his son brain injuries that were related to football. His son, Cody Hamblin, played football since he was 8-years-old; he was only 22-years-old when he died. Darren Hamblin claims that the Riddell helmets were responsible for his son’s wrongful death after approximately a decade of playing tackle football. Cody Hamblin’s death occurred five years after the conclusion of his high school football days. He suffered a seizure during a fishing trip with his grandfather; the seizure resulted in Cody falling off the boat and drowning. The autopsy revealed that the seemingly normal, healthy former high school football star suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a brain injury associated with football; unfortunately, CTE can only be identified after the victim’s death. The reason athletes like football players use helmets is to prevent brain injuries like the one that eventually caused Cody Hamblin’s death. The Riddell helmets that Cody Hamblin used throughout his decade-long football career failed to protect him from brain injuries – which are so common in football and contact sports in general. In early May 2019, a judge in Ohio ruled that Riddell will have to face at least five of the six claims made by Darren Hamblin. These claims include wrongful death, design defects, and manufacturing defects, for instance. This ruling has been ground-breaking because it does not involve a professional football player – the only ones who seem to be taken seriously in these types of cases.

Understanding Product Liability

Product liability is based on the fact that products should always be safe for consumer use. All companies owe their consumers a duty of care. They must ensure that their products are safe for consumers. To ensure that their products are safe, they must subject their products to extensive tests and inspections; the purpose is to identify and address any hazards before their consumers are harmed in any way. When there are any defects/issues with the product’s labeling, design, or manufacturing, companies are needlessly putting their consumers at risk of harm. When the harm suffered by consumers is directly connected to a defect in the product, victims and their families could hold the company accountable for all the harm caused by the defective product. If you would like to learn more about product liability and your right to file a product liability claim, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance immediately.

Understanding Wrongful Death

Wrongful death is based on the fact that deceased victims would not have lost their lives had it not been for the reckless or negligent actions of the liable party. Although it might not seem obvious, wrongful death claims go hand in hand with product liability claims. When companies fail to ensure that their products are safe for consumer use, they are negligently putting their consumers at risk of suffering injuries that could result in death. In wrongful death claims that are related to defective products, it is clear that the deceased victim would be alive if the product was not defective to begin with.

The Father’s Right to Pursue a Claim against Riddell

In the instant discussed above, it is clear that the father of the deceased 22-year-old has the right to pursue a claim. The defects in design and manufacturing that were present in the Riddell helmets that Cody Hamblin used throughout his ten years playing football contributed to his CTE. If the football helmets would have been safe for consumer use, Cody Hamblin would have never suffered a brain injury. If he would have never suffered a brain injury, he also wouldn’t have had a seizure while fishing – and he wouldn’t have drowned. Although a drowning death does not seek relevant to a football injury, there is a clear connection between the brain injury (and the seizure) that the victim suffered and the defective helmets. Because this clear connection exists, the father has the right to pursue a claim against Riddell.

Your Right to Pursue a Claim against Riddell or Other Sports Equipment Companies

Your right to pursue a claim against a company for a defective product that caused the death of a member of your family is based on negligence. The company had the duty to ensure that all their products were safe for consumer use. Because they failed to identify and address discrepancies in their products prior to making them available for purchased, they breached their duty of care to consumers. The breach of duty led an innocent and unsuspecting party suffering an injury that caused death. When the death of a victim is directly caused by a breach of duty (like making a defective product available for consumer use) victims and their families will have the right t sue – and the right to receive compensation. If you are still unsure of the right that you have to pursue your claim for the wrongful death caused by a defective product, you should seek legal assistance immediately. Speaking with an expert will help you gain a better understanding of your right to pursue a claim.

Understanding the Compensation Available for Recovery

Without a doubt, recovering monetary compensation- by any means – fill the void caused by the death of a member of your family. Recovering compensation cannot speed up the grieving process or reverse the harm that you and your family suffered. However, recovering compensation can help you and your family to move forward from such a traumatic experience in your lives. Although recovering compensation might not be the main thing on your mind, compensation is a major part in holding liable parties accountable for the harm that they cause. Depending on the specific details of your claim, you will likely be eligible to recover compensation for the claim that you file. Could you really be eligible to recover compensation? How much compensation could you receive? What type of compensation could you be eligible to recover? It is absolutely normal to have these questions regarding the compensation that you might be eligible to recover; however, most of the questions about the specific compensation that you could receive are better reserved for a legal expert. In general, some of the types of compensation available for claimants can include the following:

• Medical expenses – compensation for all the medical costs incurred prior to the victim’s death (including life-saving measures)
• Lost wages – compensation for all the earning that were lost and will continue to be lost due to the victim’s death (includes projected wages)
• Pain and suffering – compensation for the mental and emotional distress directly caused by the victim’s death
• Loss of consortium – compensation for the loss of ability to have a normal family relationship with the deceased victim
• Funeral and burial expenses – compensation for the costs of specific services related to the victim’s death
• Punitive damages – compensation awarded as a form of punishment towards the defendant

If you would like to learn more about the specific type and amount of compensation that you might be eligible to recover if you pursue a claim against Riddell or any other sports equipment company, it is important that you discuss your claim with an expert. There are many details that could significantly affect the specific type and amount of compensation that you could recover. Because of that, it is essential that you seek legal assistance with a knowledgeable attorney immediately.

The Need for an Attorney

Did your child lose his or her life because sports equipment failed to offer the appropriate protection? There are a number of sports in which protective gear is absolutely necessary for the safety of the athletes. Football is one of these sports; athletes must wear a variety of protective gear, including helmets, to prevent dangerous injuries. In football, helmets are easily the most important piece of protective gear. Without the proper protection of a helmet, it is likely that football develop a traumatic brain injury, which could prove to be fatal. As described above, the 22-year-old ex-football player stopped playing the sport after high school. The victim played football since we was 8-years-old – for nearly a decade. Approximately five years after his high school career ended, he suddenly suffered a seizure that led to his death. Consider the scenario. Even though the victim used helmets throughout his football career, he still suffered a brain injury that cost him his life. His brain injury and his death represent how Riddell and their helmets failed to protect him from harm. Can you relate to the unfortunate circumstances discussed above? If your child suffered a brain injury related to a contact sport even though he or she was using the appropriate protective gear, you might have grounds to hold the sports equipment company accountable for the harm that your child suffered. Do you really have grounds to pursue a claim against Riddell or any other sports equipment company? The answer to that question depends on the specific details of your claim; therefore, it is important that you seek legal assistance as soon as possible. If you are in need of legal assistance, it is essential that you contact the experts at Downtown L.A. Law Group. Downtown L.A. Law Group is a personal injury law firm with many years of experience handling a variety of claims – including personal injury claims, product liability claims, and wrongful death claims. Our knowledgeable lawyers are ready to handle your claim and help you fight for your rights to be compensated. If you would like to discuss your claim with our experts, do not hesitate to contact us at your earliest convenience – as you could benefit from our free legal services. Our firm offers free legal services to ensure that all affected parties have access to our expertise. Our free legal services include both free consultations and free second opinions. During our free legal services and free second opinions, our lawyers will be available to provide you all the information that you need to pursue your claim – answering all your questions and addressing all your concerns. Our free legal services are available as part of our Zero-Fee guarantee, which ensures that our clients never have to worry about paying any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. This guarantee also establishes our strict contingency structure; our clients will never be required to pay anything until after reaching a successful claim outcome. If you didn’t win, you will not be required to pay anything. To benefit from our legal services and discuss your claim with our experts, do not hesitate to contact our law firm today.