Question

You are a new associate at the law firm of Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe, a high powered law firm in the State of Maryland. On your first day, your boss comes in to discuss the firms newest client with you. Her name is Ellen Green, the parent of Sammy Green, age 11. Ellen is a single mother, but her ex-husband, Joe, shares custody of and has visitation with Sammy on alternate weekends.Sammy played soccer for a recreational team located in Columbia, MD, the Eagles, which were coached by Ken Russell. Sammy was incurred during a regularly scheduled Saturday afternoon game against the Vultures, another recreational team. The Vultures were coached by Leonard Smith. The game was referred by Jim James. Both teams are part of a league run by the nationally recognized "Soccer Comes First, Inc" company, who's offices are located in New York, NY. The games were played on fields owned by the organization in the state of Maryland. All coaches and referees are employees of the organization. Ellen was not present for the game as it was a weekend when Joe had Visitation.

The league has rules for the conduct of games. One rule gives the referee the authority to decide whether a game should be cancelled for weather conditions. It had rained and sleeted steadily on the day of the game and several parents of players from both teams asked James to cancel the game. Neither of the coaches nor Joe Green expressed any objections to playing the game. This was the last game of the season and would decide who would be in first place. James did not postpone the game, although a referee for an earlier game on the same field had canceled a game between two other teams in the same league.

The two teams were evenly matched, and the game was a close one. In the second half, there were two incidents were the players slipped and fell on a wet and icy patch of ground near the Vultures' goal. One player was not hurt, the other twisted his ankle. In the last minute of the game, Sammy slipped and fell in the same area. Before he could get up, Andy Olsen, a player for the Vultures, also fell and slid into Sammy, kicking him in the head. Sammy suffered a severe injury to his skull and upper spine which required extensive surgery and rehabilitation.

Ms. Green would like for the firm to look at the following issues:

a. Who, if anyone, can be sued, for what, and how could these claims be proven?

b. Is the fact that Ellen owns 10% of "Soccer Comes First, Inc" matter in any way?

Answer 1

The referees are to be sues for refusing to apply discretion in determining whether or not the game should hold.

Step-by-step explanation

Through the game obliges the referees to decide whether a game should be played or cancelled, while taking into cognizance the weather conditions that makes it absolutely uncomfortable to play the game, the referees are responsible for these accidents because they refused to apply some level of discretion in their decision making. Besides, they ought to have taken a clue from the other referees who cancelled theirs, attributing their reasons to bad weather.

Ellen own 10% of Soccer Comes First Inc matter so much to her because it is possibly her major source of dependence when it comes to managing her only child as a single mother and herself. Hence, she will go miles in ensuring that it is not truncated as a result of the injury sustained by her ex-husband.