Supreme Court to Review Rochester Ice Rink Injury Lawsuit

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - The Minnesota Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal involving a personal injury lawsuit against the City of Rochester.

The lawsuit alleges the city was negligent in the maintenance of one of the two ice rinks at the Rochester Recreation Center in a case involving a youth hockey coach who was injured during a practice session in September 2023. Court documents indicate David Fritz suffered a broken ankle that required surgery when he fell while skating on the facility's north ice rink.

Injury Lawsuit Centers on Ice Rink Maintenance

According to his lawsuit, a "narrow gap or separation" in the ice surface near the Zamboni doors caused Fritz to fall. He is seeking damages, arguing the city was negligent in allowing the gap in the ice surface to exist and create a dangerous condition that it should have been aware of.

Fritz v Rochester lawsuit - Olmsted County Court

Recreational Use Immunity

The City of Rochester disputes that the dangerous condition existed and also argues that, even if the gap was there, it was unaware of it and was not notified of any problem until a month after Fritz was injured. The city contends it cannot be held liable under a provision of state law known as recreational use immunity.

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Court to Decide Scope of Liability Protection

The Olmsted County judge presiding over the case rejected the city's argument and allowed the lawsuit to proceed, but the Minnesota Court of Appeals later ruled in the city's favor and dismissed the case. The Minnesota Supreme Court has now agreed to consider whether the city is protected by the recreational use immunity provision or whether Fritz should be allowed to present his claims to a jury.

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The lawsuit, which was filed in Olmsted County District Court about a year after the incident at the Recreation Center, seeks more than $50,000 in damages and lists more than $44,000 in medical expenses resulting from Fritz's injuries.