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Goal post maker responds to lawsuit
By Gary Mihoces, USA TODAY
A Connecticut-based goal post manufacturer, sued by an Indiana man who was paralyzed when a goal post was toppled by fellow students following a 2001 football game at Ball State, says fan behavior is to blame ? not faulty design.
"This is not a product issue but is a case about personal responsibility and whether our society will tolerate acts of fan violence or will take the necessary steps to prevent this vandalism," said Neil Gilman, president of Marty Gilman, Inc.
With his parents as co-plaintiffs, Andrew Bourne of Liberty, Ind., filed the suit in federal court in Indiana. It alleges the goal posts were "designed and constructed in a manner which allowed them to suddenly snap and collapse," striking Bourne and causing injuries that paralyzed his legs."
Here is the text of the statement from Neil Gilman:
"We at Marty Gilman, Inc. were saddened to hear the news of the recent lawsuit that had been filed against our company by Andrew Bourne and his family. While it certainly was an unfortunate incident involving Mr. Bourne at Ball State University, it was not due to any defect in the goal post. This lawsuit is without merit.
"Our company was founded in 1929, and is the leader in providing football equipment for high schools, colleges, universities and the National Football League. We have been manufacturing goal posts since 1960. The goal post is only designed to support itself. It is merely an ornament that locates a space a ball passes through to score a goal. It is not a piece of playground equipment. The goal post provided to Ball State University was safe for its intended use. It was not designed to support a single student never mind a mob of students trying to pull it down. We are not responsible for the intentional misuse of our product.
"The lawsuit that has been filed is a reflection of the litigious society that we live in today. Unfortunately, it ignores the increased vandalism that is occurring in American sports. This is not a product issue but is a case about personal responsibility and whether our society will tolerate acts of fan violence or will take the necessary steps to prevent this vandalism.
"We will vigorously defend this lawsuit as we feel it is without merit. It is unfortunate that Mr. Bourne sustained an injury due to fan violence. However, we stand by the design and manufacture of our goal posts for their intended use."
By Gary Mihoces, USA TODAY
A Connecticut-based goal post manufacturer, sued by an Indiana man who was paralyzed when a goal post was toppled by fellow students following a 2001 football game at Ball State, says fan behavior is to blame ? not faulty design.
"This is not a product issue but is a case about personal responsibility and whether our society will tolerate acts of fan violence or will take the necessary steps to prevent this vandalism," said Neil Gilman, president of Marty Gilman, Inc.
With his parents as co-plaintiffs, Andrew Bourne of Liberty, Ind., filed the suit in federal court in Indiana. It alleges the goal posts were "designed and constructed in a manner which allowed them to suddenly snap and collapse," striking Bourne and causing injuries that paralyzed his legs."
Here is the text of the statement from Neil Gilman:
"We at Marty Gilman, Inc. were saddened to hear the news of the recent lawsuit that had been filed against our company by Andrew Bourne and his family. While it certainly was an unfortunate incident involving Mr. Bourne at Ball State University, it was not due to any defect in the goal post. This lawsuit is without merit.
"Our company was founded in 1929, and is the leader in providing football equipment for high schools, colleges, universities and the National Football League. We have been manufacturing goal posts since 1960. The goal post is only designed to support itself. It is merely an ornament that locates a space a ball passes through to score a goal. It is not a piece of playground equipment. The goal post provided to Ball State University was safe for its intended use. It was not designed to support a single student never mind a mob of students trying to pull it down. We are not responsible for the intentional misuse of our product.
"The lawsuit that has been filed is a reflection of the litigious society that we live in today. Unfortunately, it ignores the increased vandalism that is occurring in American sports. This is not a product issue but is a case about personal responsibility and whether our society will tolerate acts of fan violence or will take the necessary steps to prevent this vandalism.
"We will vigorously defend this lawsuit as we feel it is without merit. It is unfortunate that Mr. Bourne sustained an injury due to fan violence. However, we stand by the design and manufacture of our goal posts for their intended use."
