Ian Hermann, a former junior hockey player, has sued the equipment company, HockeyTron, alleging that he was injured when a visor shattered on his face after being struck by a puck.
In October 2019, Hermann brought suit in the 429th District Court of Collin County, Texas, alleging claims of product liability, breach of implied warranty, and negligence against HockeyTron. Hermann said that he purchased a Tron S30 Helmet Visor since it was marketed as being strong enough to protect the wearer from puck and stick hits. He alleged that, during a game in Plano, Texas on Nov. 3, 2017, he was struck in the face with a puck, which in turn caused his visor to shatter.
Hermann claims that he needed multiple surgeries following the incident, including an implant to reconstruct his orbital floor. He also states that his vision in his left eye has yet to fully recover in the two-and-a-half years since the incident. Don Bradley Kizzia, Hermann’s attorney, told Law360 that the product was obviously unsafe and that he hopes the manufacturer will fix the problem before anyone else suffers a similar injury.
The case has now been moved to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. HockeyTron successfully argued that federal court was the proper venue under diversity jurisdiction, as Hermann lives in Ohio and HockeyTron’s headquarters are in California. Hermann is seeking over $500,000 in damages and also named three of HockeyTron’s affiliates in the lawsuit: Wholesale Sports Inc., Tron, and Tron X.
We will continue to monitor the status of this litigation.