Opinion ID: 2972622
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Summary of Parties’ Arguments

Text: Plaintiffs maintain that Mohney kept his head up as he headed into the boards in order to avoid a blow to the crown (top) of the head, as he had been instructed to do throughout the years, because he knew that a serious spinal injury could result from going into the boards crown first. Plaintiffs assert that, with his head up, Mohney’s head went face-forward into the boards as his body continued to move forward. As his face/the mask collided with the boards, Plaintiffs contend that, in a matter of milliseconds, (1) the J-clip on the right-hand side holding the mask in place dislodged or was absent, (2) thereby causing Mohney’s head to deflect from a face-forward presentation with the boards to a crown presentation, and (3) that as his body continued forward, the force caused Mohney’s spine to buckle. Bauer argues that Mohney’s head initially struck the boards in a crown-first position. Bauer maintains that there was no rotation of the head from a face-forward presentation to a crown presentation.