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DENVER – After a woman went to a professional sporting event and wound up in the hospital, she contacted Denver7 to spread the word about reading the fine print on your sporting event tickets.
The entire ordeal started at a Colorado Mammoth game, a box lacrosse team, at the Pepsi Center.
“We were watching the game,” said Christine Bauer. “All of a sudden I just see the ball, but there was the glass, so I don’t even think I tried to move out of the way.”
Bauer said the ball hit her on the left side of her face.
“So it just happened so quick and hit me in the mouth, and I ended up breaking three of my teeth,” Bauer said.
But it was more than just broken teeth. Bauer needed to be taken to the emergency room.
“I had a severe concussion,” Bauer said. “They classified it as a brain injury. For a while afterward, I had problems stuttering.”
Bauer said she ended having to do speech, physical and vestibular therapy for about a year.
On top of all the dental work, the bills took a toll.
“Right now the bills have stacked up to about $51,000,” Bauer said. “But I still need more dental work done. A lot of the dental work I’ve had done is starting to fail.”
Bauer provided Denver7 with emails between her and the Pepsi Center’s insurance claim addresser. She said they told her to continue her treatment and send the bills to them to see what they could do.
“I did do all of that which they sent me a denial letter once I sent them all the information they requested,” Bauer said.
The insurance addresser in the letter said what happened is a risk spectators are taking by attending a game.
Bauer said it’s hard for her to fight this because of what the back of the Mammoth ticket says.
The ticket reads on the back ‘the holder of this ticket voluntarily assumes all risk of danger of personal injury’ including death."
Right now, Bauer’s family is just doing what they can to move forward, even though her life hasn’t been the same.
All she wants is to warn others that this could to happen to them.
“You’re not protected,” Bauer said. “If something happens you’re responsible for everything. My life has changed so much so drastically.”
