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Ten fans were injured last month at the Coca-Cola 600, a 400-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup event, when a support rope dropped from a Fox Sports camera suspended over the grandstands. The heavy nylon rope fell to the ground, striking several spectators seated below. Although no one sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of the accident, Fort Myers personal injury attorneys say that those who were hurt may have grounds to file lawsuits against the manufacturers of the faulty camera, the patrons of the event, and possibly even the owners of the venue.

The camera’s cable fell during the 121st lap of the race, and the event was delayed for almost a half hour while crews repaired damage to the racecars, and teams cleaned up the debris in the stands. Medical personnel were on hand to treat most of the injured fans, and those with more serious injuries were taken to a local hospital. According to a statement made by a spokesperson for Charlotte Motor Speedway, the three spectators who had been taken to the hospital had sustained minor, non-life threatening injuries. Seven other people were treated on-site for minor scrapes and shallow cuts, and were allowed to go home. No drivers were hurt, although several racecars needed repairs.

Fox Sports released a statement the night of the incident, claiming that they had not yet determined what caused the accident, but they have stopped using the camera system until their support team can figure out what went wrong.  They promised to launch a full-scale investigation. The camera system is made up of three ropes—a drive rope to move the camera back and forth, with two guiding ropes on either side of the device. According to Fox Sport’s report, it was the drive rope that malfunctioned near the first-turn connection, which caused it to fall to the track and strike the spectators.

Fox Sports reported that they had used the same camera system at the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race a week prior, the Daytona 500, and several other major sporting events—all without incident. The system’s guide ropes prevented the camera itself from falling, which could have caused even more severe damage to the spectators below.

Personal injury lawyer Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Fort Myers encourages concertgoers, NASCAR fans, and other spectators to be careful when attending events with lots of heavy-duty equipment such as suspended cameras and hanging signs. Although laws are in place to ensure the safety of people in the venue, accidents can happen, and those who suffer injury may be able to seek damages to cover the costs of their injury or loss of lifestyle.

The personal injury attorneys at Fort Myers-based Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., have experience dealing with personal injury lawsuits aimed at defective products, as well as unsafe event venues, and represent anyone who has suffered injuries in such a situation.