Woman suing Patriots for $10 million in damages
Woman suing Patriots for $10 million in damages over her husband’s 2010 death at stadium
By Eric Edholm | Shutdown Corner, 8/21/2013
According to the Springfield (Mass.) Republican, the wife of a deceased Patriots fan is suing the team and NFL for at least $10 million in damages for the death of her husband during a 2010 game at Gillette Stadium.
Kimberly Chartier, a native of nearby Chicopee, Mass., is filing a civil suit against the team, alleging that the franchise and three other parties are responsible for the death of Jeffrey Chartier, 40, in the season opener that year. Gillette Stadium operator NPS and security service provider TeamOps also are named in the suit, according to the Republican’s report.
Reports surfaced at the time that an altercation with a security guard during the Week 1 game against the Bengals immediately preceded Chartier’s death.
The suit indicates that Chartier was invited to go on the field before the game with his then-6-year-old son, Tedy, by two team officials. Reportedly, Tedy did not have a field pass and was denied access by a security guard identified as Arthur Sherman.
Following a 15-minute confrontation, Chartier returned to his seat where he is believed to have suffered a heart attack. The suit says that stress related to the argument with the security guard was the cause of the heart attack.
The filing reads:
“Jeff Chartier died as a result of cardiac arrest that was precipitated by agitation and stress caused by an interaction with a security guard at Gillette Stadium who inappropriately and unnecessarily confronted Jeff Chartier and his son Tedy in a harsh, unprofessional, confrontational, disrespectful and antagonistic manner.”
Chartier had been a season-ticket holder since the start of the 2000 season and named his son after former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi.
The Patriots held a moment of silence of Chartier’s death prior to their next home game, two weeks later against the Bills. The team also donated a Tom Brady jersey for auction to raise money for his family, and owner Robert Kraft, Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett and media spokesman Stacey James attended Chartier’s funeral, according to the report.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/wife-deceased-fan-suing-england-patriots-10-million-181659399.html