German hockey player files lawsuit against player who paralyzed him with dirty hit into the boards
A story out of Germany is raising concerns across the hockey world as a player is being sued after a hit left another player paralyzed.
The incident occurred in February of last year. German forward Mike Glemser was hit by defenseman Jan-Niklas Pietsch. Unfortunately, no footage of the play is available. There is one video circulating around social media claiming to the the hit that left Glemser paralyzed, but that video is from eight years ago and has nothing to do with this story.
Regardless, Glemser is now filing a civil lawsuit against Pietsch, in a case that could send shockwaves throughout not just the hockey world, but all of professional sports.
Glemser is seeking monetary compensation for his pain and suffering, as well as for costs associated with his physical therapy and rehab, which he has been using in an effort to slowly regain control of his body. Pietsch's lawyers have argued that ruling in favor of Glemser would open a can of worms, leading to the possibility that any injury sustained during a sporting event could later be considered assault. The following has been translated from German.
Meanwhile, Glemser is still recovering from the injury, but the 26-year-old may never regain full control of his body. However, he has made some progress and was able to visit his team's rink a year after the hit.
Understandably, this is a very important case for German law. Should Glemser win, we could see a flood of lawsuits being filed against players for other dangerous plays that lead to injuries. Furthermore, it could set an interesting precedent for courts in other countries, who may look to the German ruling in the future. Granted, the legal precedents and structures are different in every country, so this may very well never apply or impact rulings in North America. Still, this is certainly a case to keep an eye on.
Source: HockeyReference
German hockey player Mike Glemser files lawsuit after being paralyzed by brutal hit
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