Family sues LAUSD after teen football player dies from textbook tackle

Football is a dangerous game, and everyone who straps on a helmet knows it.But the family of a 16-year-old player who died after a devastating injury is now asking a court to decide whether his death was simply part of the game or whether his school district allegedly made the danger worse.Attorney Michael P.Hernandez, a partner at HHJ Trial Attorneys, told The California Post that distinction is crucial under the state’s “primary assumption of risk” doctrine.“California follows a doctrine called primary assumption of risk.

A player who steps onto a football field accepts the risks that are inherent to the sport itself,” Hernandez told The California Post.In other words, a school isn’t automatically on the hook whenever a player gets hurt in a sport built around collisions.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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Never miss a story But that protection has limits, Hernandez said.“A hard, poorly maintained surface is not an inherent risk of football.It is a maintenance and safety failure,” Hernandez said.That distinction is at the heart of the lawsuit filed by Garcia’s family.Christopher, a junior varsity player at South East High School, played in a varsity game Aug.

23, 2024, according to his family and attorneys.During the game, his head struck the ground after what his legal team describes as a “textbook defensive tackle.”The hit caused a catastrophic brain injury.Christopher died 11 days later despite emergency medical treatment.His family alleges that LAUSD failed to “provide safe facilities, proper equipment, and adequate supervision.”The case has already reignited a heated debate over where the inherent dangers of football end and school responsibility begins.And because Christopher’s family describes the play as a “textbook tackle,�...