According to the Associated Press, a federal judge ruled last week that hundreds of fan complaints against the National Football League for seating problems at Super Bowl XLV could not merge into a class action lawsuit.
U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn ordered that ticket holders who did not participate in the NFL’s voluntary settlement for those who were either denied seats, relocated to other seats, delayed entry into the stadium or had obstructed views during the 2011 game at Cowboys Stadium would have to file lawsuits individually.
“The court is skeptical that a classwide approval or disapproval of certain categories of damages would accurately compensate class members for their losses. What makes one person whole may not make others whole,” Lynn’s order said. “Mini-trials for every class member will still be necessary to determine an individual’s damages.”
Lynn said, “The burdens and costs associated with proceeding as a class action outweigh potential benefits.”
According to the AP, to expand Cowboys Stadium’s 80,000 seating capacity for Super Bowl XLV, the team contracted with a company to install 13,000 temporary bleacher-style seats. However, before kickoff, fire officials and building inspectors declared 1,250 of the temporary seats unsafe because of code violations.
In most cases, the benefit of bringing a class action lawsuit is that when damages suffered by one individual or a group are too small to sue individually, acting on behalf of all others similarly affected may allow them to sue for an larger amount, which makes the suit financially sound.
If you feel like a product or service has been misrepresented or constitutes a consumer fraud matter, contact our class action lawyers to represent you. Call our firm at (800) 711-5258 to see how we can help you.
KGG’s Corner: About 3,200 fans were affected by the Super Bowl XLV ticket fiasco, with about 400 people not getting seats they paid for.
Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman, P.C. – Class Action Lawyers
