Eugenie Bouchard: Tennis star wins US Open concussion lawsuit
- Published
A New York jury has awarded damages to Eugenie Bouchard, the tennis star who dropped out of the US Open after a fall in a trainer's room.
The 23-year-old Canadian slipped on a cleaning substance on the floor after playing a late-night match on 4 September 2015, suffering a concussion.
She did not play for the rest of the 2015 season and her world ranking has since dropped below the top 100.
The former Wimbledon finalist is seeking millions in lost earnings.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) was found to be responsible for 75% of her damages after the jury in Brooklyn deliberated for less than one hour on Thursday evening.
"When you get 75% or better, you can't ever complain about that," Benedict Morelli, Bouchard's lawyer, told reporters after the jury's decision.
During her trial, the Montreal native said she had fallen flat on her back.
Bouchard told the court she could feel the chemical cleaning agents burning her skin "all over me".
She testified: "I screamed, 'Oh my God, it burns!'"
The injury took place in the locker room at the Queens facility, after cleaning workers applied a substance to the floor thinking that all the players had left for the day.
"We just assumed that she had left," testified trainer Kristy Stahr, on behalf of USTA.
According to the New York Times, the damages phase of the trial takes place on Friday at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
The hearing will determine how much the injury cost Bouchard, whose world ranking has since dropped from Number 6 to 116.
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