Family Sues NFL After Daughter Injured By Drunken

[Jenny AU-92 0]

HACKENSACK, N.J. -- The parents of a girl paralyzed in an accident caused by a drunken football fan are suing the National Football League, claiming it promotes the type of behavior that led the fan to drink 14 beers at a New York Giants game and then drive home.  SURVEY

The parents of a girl paralyzed in an accident caused by a drunken football fan have sued the NFL, claiming it promotes the type of behavior that led the fan to drink 14 beers at a New York Giants game and then drive home.

Ronald and Fazila Verni , of Cliffside Park , initially filed their lawsuit in 2001, but it was refiled Thursday in state Superior Court to include the NFL and its commissioner, Paul Tagliabue, as defendants. The Vernis' 2-year-old daughter, Antonia, was paralyzed from the neck down in the accident, remains on a ventilator and is not expected to regain use of her arms and legs, the family's lawyer said.

The family was headed home from a pumpkin-picking trip in 1999 when their car and a truck driven by Daniel Lanzaro, 34, of Cresskill, collided in Hasbrouck Heights. Lanzaro -- whose blood-alcohol content was 0.26, nearly three times the legal limit in New Jersey -- was sentenced this summer to five years in prison. 

Rosemarie Arnold, the Vernis' attorney, said the league and the team encourage excessive alcohol use before and during NFL games. "What they do is promote the concept that you can't have fun at a football game unless you're drunk," she said. "Giants Stadium opens four hours before a game. Why? So people can tailgate. The notion of the game is, if you're drunk, you're going to have a good time. Then you leave in your car and drive home.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league had not been served with a copy of the lawsuit and declined comment. The Giants referred inquiries to their attorney, who did not immediately return a call seeking comment on Friday.

Besides the NFL, defendants include Lanzaro, the Giants, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, Giants Stadium and Aramark, a company that sells concessions at the stadium. A message seeking comment from the sports authority was not immediately returned Friday.

Arnold said the NFL was not initially named as a defendant because the family had to wait for Lanzaro's sentencing before their attorneys could interview him about his actions at the game.

The NFL forbids beer sales after the third quarter, and the Giants go a step further by shutting down beer vendors at the start of the third quarter. The stadium also mandates that fans can only buy two beers at a time, but Arnold said Lanzaro sidestepped that rule by giving the vendor a $10 tip and was allowed to buy six beers.

[Ranger12 46]

Really don't know how to vote. I think the owner's of the Giants, or the whoever runs the stadium is at fault more then the NFL would be. I do understand you could say the NFL has overall responsibilty of how the teams conduct their games, but not control over how the stadiums are run. I would have sued that stadium and the Giants for employing vendors that were not excercising good judgment when the kept selling beer to a man that had to be obviously really intoxicated. The part of how the NFL does promote drinking as a way to have more fun at it's games does have some merit to it. Just look at the major sponsors of the NFL.

[Tiger Al 0]

Driver's fault.

[AURainman 6]

People have to live up to their own actions. The NFL/Giants did not force the man to drive drunk. It is a choice the man made.

[Ranger12 46]

Driver's fault.

Can't agree more with you there. The driver is ultimately responsible. I would figure that the family has to go after the NFL, because I am pretty sure that driver will not be able to give the family the financial windfall they are looking for. Can't say I don't blame them, but I don't think any amount of money can replace the hurt.