NJ School Boards Assoc. Eyes Legal Action on Defective Turf

The New Jersey School Boards Association followed several colleges lead by considering the exploration of possible legal action against FieldTurf, a manufacturer of artificial turf fields, that has come under scrutiny. FieldTurf is alleged to have sold and marketed its artificial turf fields even after knowing that its product was defective.¹

A statewide investigation into how many schools in New Jersey used the FieldTurf product, appear to have found several schools that purchased the defective artificial turf for their athletic fields, including Montclair Kimberley Academy in Montclair.

FieldTurf Defective Product Details and Allegations

The following FieldTurf defective product details and allegations came from local and national media reports:²

• NJ Advance Media conducted an independent six-month investigation into FieldTurf’s product called Duraspine, which has been installed onto high school, college and even professional sports fields from 2006 to 2012 with a base cost of anywhere between $300,000 to $500,000 each.
• At issue, is the report that company executives knew they had a defective product that didn’t last as long as the life expectancy they claimed it had. The FieldTurf marketing folks claimed it would hold up for a decade or longer, when in fact several schools and colleges claimed it only lasted half of that life span, especially in states like California and Texas, where the chance for ultraviolet light damage was greater.
• One concern about this artificial turf has been the new phenomenon allegedly caused by playing on the surface known as turf toe or metatarsophalangeal joint sprang.
• Another area of ongoing concern is cancer allegedly caused by the so-called “crumb rubber” used in the surface that is made from processed tires and a known material causing carcinogen. The Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission all have ongoing investigations as whether certain artificial turfs cause cancer.
• The defective description of one field at Highland Park claimed that although it may still have a green appearance of regular grass, its “fibers have cracked, split, frayed and become matted across a thinning playing field.”
• FieldTurf has accused its supplier of Duraspine of not making the product sturdy enough to withstand UV radiation, which causes the product to deteriorate prematurely. Some fields are even said to deteriorate in as little as three years.
• The bottom line, say city and school officials, is folks need to be concerned about corporate responsibility, the welfare of students and athletes, and the structural integrity of limited resources.

Contact a Middlesex County Personal Injury Lawyer at Mayo & Russ

If you feel you or a loved one has been injured by a defective artificial turf field, contact a Middlesex County Personal Injury Lawyer at Mayo & Russ to get a realistic perspective on what your legal options are and what our firm can to do to help you regain compensation for damages.

For more than 20 years, our trusted Middlesex County Personal Injury Lawyer has been dedicated to fiercely fighting for our clients, who have been harmed by careless acts of negligence. We’ve built up our legal firm’s reputation based on providing exceptional representation for various personal injury matters. Suffice it to say, our lawyers have an abundance of insight and practice knowledge that is guaranteed to bring your case to a successful resolution.

To find out how our services can benefit you through justice and your financial recovery, call us at (732) 613-3100, toll free at (888) MAYO-LAW, or email us using the drop-down contact form at the top of this page. Your first initial consultation is free, and we won’t charge you any legal fees until or unless we secure compensation through a jury award or settlement.

Headquartered in Middlesex County, our personal injury lawyer provides the highest quality legal services to people through the entire state of New Jersey.

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¹“NJ School Boards Association to Address Defective Turf at MKA” published in Tap Into Montclair, December 2016.

²“Profits vs. safety: What new findings about FieldTurf tell us about the future of sports” published in Sports Illustrated, December 2016.