Sports In the Courts Blog : New York Attorneys & Lawyers Specializing in Sports Law & Legal Analysis

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Stafon Johnson has filed a lawsuit against the University of Southern California, arising out of a weightlifting accident that occurred on September 28, 2009 (Complaint, courtesy of TMZ). At the time, Johnson was USC's leading rusher.

Johnson claims that Jamie Yanchar, the strength and conditioning coach, was "spotting" Johnson while he was bench pressing 275 lbs. The Complaint states that "the bar was dropped, hit, and/or fell onto Johnson's neck" due to Yanchar's negligent or reckless conduct, causing Johnson's severe injuries. Specifically, Johnson alleges that Yanchar was not paying attention as Johnson lifted the bar from the weight rack and instead was watching other football players, and Yanchar hit the bar with his own body before Johnson was able to obtain a full grip, causing the bar to slip from Johnson's hands.

Johnson sustained a fractured larynx and acute airway obstruction, crushing his voice box, and degloving the lining of the larynx, which required surgical intervention. He has recovered, and although he was not selected in the 2010 NFL draft, Johnson signed a contract with the Tennessee Titans. Unfortunately, his ankle was severely dislocated in a preseason game and he was placed on injured reserve.

If Yanchar did hit the bar causing it to slip, even accidentally, Yanchar and USC could be liable. According to Brian Reintgen, a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Lifetime Athletic in Berkeley Heights, NJ, the coach/trainer's first and most important responsibility is to ensure that the client (in this case, Johnson) is not injured. Unless Johnson was taught to grip the bar improperly, it should not have slipped out of his hand. However, the coach/trainer must have his hands close to the bar just in case a "slippage" occurs as it did here.

There will certainly be witnesses who will be deposed, and it is difficult to imagine that an investigation was not conducted after the accident, which should have included a statement by Yancha.  In a November 2010 interview, Johnson would not disclose specifics as to how the weight bar fell, and refused to discuss whether Yanchar made a mistake or whether anyone else was at fault. The University has issued a statement denying liability for the accident.