NFL agrees to settle lawsuit over canceled 2016 Hall of Fame game
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The Pro Football Hall of Fame has agreed to settle a lawsuit related to its decision to cancel a 2016 preseason game between the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers because of field conditions.
If approved, those who paid for or acquired tickets to the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame Game could be eligible to receive compensation from a settlement fund totaling $750,000, according to an announcement.
The Packers and Colts were scheduled to play the first preseason game of the NFL season on Aug. 7, 2016, in Canton, Ohio, where the Hall of Fame is located. But the game was called off because of safety issues with the turf at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker said there was “a problem at midfield and in the end zones with some of the painting that it was kind of congealing and rubberized, which meant players might slip on it.”
A fan from Los Angeles filed a lawsuit accusing the NFL of having a “history of mismanaging the stadiums where its games are held.”
The complaint was filed in California but was transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
Aside from the price of a ticket — the plaintiff paid $1,000 for two tickets — damages cited in the lawsuit include the cost of travel, lodging and missing work.
According to the settlement announcement, class members can submit a form to be reimbursed for all or a portion of certain expenses related to their ticket purchase and attending the game, which may include certain travel expenses.
Class members have two options: making a claim based on documented expenses, or making a claim based on expenses not supported by documentation.
Anyone who accepted reimbursement from the Pro Football Hall of Fame may not be eligible for compensation.
Claims can be filed at 2016halloffamegameclassaction.com.
A final hearing for settlement approval is scheduled for Nov. 17.