South Carolina Supreme Court holds that one assumes the risk of being hit by a puck when attending hockey games

In Hurst v. East Coast Hockey League, the circuit court granted summary judgment in favor of defendants when Hurst sued after being struck by a puck at a hockey game. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that under the doctrine of implied primary assumption of risk, defendants' duty of care did not encompass the risk involved. The risk of a hockey spectator being struck by a flying puck is inherent to the game of hockey and is also a common, expected, and frequent risk of hockey.