Brissy Bulldog
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A rugby league fan blinded in one eye by a firecracker thrown during a Bulldogs game has lost his bid for compensation.
Samer Haris was struck by fragments of a firecracker that landed on the field after the Bulldogs won their last game of the 2002 season, against the Brisbane Broncos.
Mr Haris, who lost sight in his left eye, sued the Bulldogs Rugby League Club for negligence over the incident at the Sydney Showground.
Mr Haris, who was 22 at the time of the incident, claimed security was too lax and the club should have prevented spectators taking fireworks into the ground.
In 2004, a NSW District Court judge found the club had not breached its duty of care, but Mr Haris appealed the decision.
However a panel of three NSW Court of Appeal judges on Friday unanimously agreed Mr Haris was not entitled to any compensation.
He had been seeking more than $250,000 from the club.
Justice Kim Santow said while the club was responsible for security at the premises, he was satisfied it had put reasonable security measures in place, including bag searches and metal detectors.
There were between 80 and 90 security officers at the game, as well as about 40 police, Justice Santow said.
"The respondent (the Bulldogs) was not liable for any breach of the duty of care it owed to the appellant," he said.
Mr Haris was totally incapacitated for the first six months after the incident and will always have a restricted work capacity, the court was told during his original compensation bid.
He could not be reached for comment.
Samer Haris was struck by fragments of a firecracker that landed on the field after the Bulldogs won their last game of the 2002 season, against the Brisbane Broncos.
Mr Haris, who lost sight in his left eye, sued the Bulldogs Rugby League Club for negligence over the incident at the Sydney Showground.
Mr Haris, who was 22 at the time of the incident, claimed security was too lax and the club should have prevented spectators taking fireworks into the ground.
In 2004, a NSW District Court judge found the club had not breached its duty of care, but Mr Haris appealed the decision.
However a panel of three NSW Court of Appeal judges on Friday unanimously agreed Mr Haris was not entitled to any compensation.
He had been seeking more than $250,000 from the club.
Justice Kim Santow said while the club was responsible for security at the premises, he was satisfied it had put reasonable security measures in place, including bag searches and metal detectors.
There were between 80 and 90 security officers at the game, as well as about 40 police, Justice Santow said.
"The respondent (the Bulldogs) was not liable for any breach of the duty of care it owed to the appellant," he said.
Mr Haris was totally incapacitated for the first six months after the incident and will always have a restricted work capacity, the court was told during his original compensation bid.
He could not be reached for comment.
