ST. LOUIS (AP/KMOV.com) – A St. Louis jury on Tuesday ordered the Los Angeles Rams to pay $12.5 million to Reggie Bush, the former NFL running back who was injured in a 2015 game at the dome.
Bush's attorney told News 4 the Rams were told to pay $4.95 million in compensatory damages and $7.5 million in punitive damages. The jury deliberated for about two hours.
"I think hopefully this sends a message that it's not ok to carelessly overlook things on the field like concrete that should not be there." Bush told News 4 as he left the courthouse.
Bush was playing for the San Francisco 49ers in November 2015 when he slipped and fell during a game after being pushed out of bounds at the former Edward Jones Dome. Bush slipped on a concrete surface about 11 yards behind the 49ers bench. The suit says the area had been nicknamed the “concrete ring of death.”
"I didn't want to have to do this but I also didn't want my career to be ended this way either," Bush said.
The Rams moved to Los Angeles the following season.
Friday morning, the St. Louis judge dismissed the city as defendants in the civil trial, leaving the Rams the only remaining defendant.
In the motion of dismissal, the judge said there was no evidence the St. Louis Regional Sports Convention Center (RSA) or the Regional Convention and Visitor's Commission (CVC) were negligent in Bush's injury and, as owners of the dome, neither organizations are liable for the dangerous condition of the stadium. The motion also said the RSA and CVC cannot be jointly liable for the dome, saying there must be "exclusive control" to hold them liable as a "public entity's property" and exclusive control over the dome does not exist.
News 4 spoke with Bush's attorney about the decision. The attorney said he agreed with the decision to drop the city as a defendant because he and Bush found the Rams responsible for not maintaining the facility to safety standards.
Bush's attorney told News 4 the Rams were told to pay $4.95 million in compensatory damages and $7.5 million in punitive damages. The jury deliberated for about two hours.
"I think hopefully this sends a message that it's not ok to carelessly overlook things on the field like concrete that should not be there." Bush told News 4 as he left the courthouse.
Bush was playing for the San Francisco 49ers in November 2015 when he slipped and fell during a game after being pushed out of bounds at the former Edward Jones Dome. Bush slipped on a concrete surface about 11 yards behind the 49ers bench. The suit says the area had been nicknamed the “concrete ring of death.”
"I didn't want to have to do this but I also didn't want my career to be ended this way either," Bush said.
The Rams moved to Los Angeles the following season.
Friday morning, the St. Louis judge dismissed the city as defendants in the civil trial, leaving the Rams the only remaining defendant.
In the motion of dismissal, the judge said there was no evidence the St. Louis Regional Sports Convention Center (RSA) or the Regional Convention and Visitor's Commission (CVC) were negligent in Bush's injury and, as owners of the dome, neither organizations are liable for the dangerous condition of the stadium. The motion also said the RSA and CVC cannot be jointly liable for the dome, saying there must be "exclusive control" to hold them liable as a "public entity's property" and exclusive control over the dome does not exist.
News 4 spoke with Bush's attorney about the decision. The attorney said he agreed with the decision to drop the city as a defendant because he and Bush found the Rams responsible for not maintaining the facility to safety standards.
I can't say that I disagree with this ruling because having exposed concrete in an area where it is possible for players to end up is hazardous. I may have disagreed if the exposed area was a longer distance away, but in this case it was 11 yards from the bench.
