Ice skating is always a popular recreational and social activity during this time of year, not to mention the ongoing 2026 Winter Olympics are likely spiking interest in wintertime sports. This means many amateurs and newbies will likely give skating a go, which could lead to many potential accidents. And one unfortunate daughter of a New Jersey parent visiting NYC for an open skate suffered quite the serious accident when an experienced figure skater got a little too careless with her practice.
The parent shared their story to r/legaladvice, explaining how their 5-year-old daughter was skating around, pushing a skate trainer to keep her balance. According to the parent, fancy spinning was prohibited at the rink because there were many inexperienced skaters at the open skate. However, one female figure skater thought she could get away with her practice and began spinning near the rink’s outer border. She was not being careful in the slightest, and she spun her leg straight into the child, her skate blade going straight into the girl’s forehead.
“I watched it happen,” the parent recalled about their daughter’s accident. “She did not walk into the skater after she started spinning, the skater started to spin as multiple people were already near her.” The 5-year-old had to be rushed to the ER and received 12 stitches; the medical bill cost $2,500 out of pocket. Needless to say, the parent does not want this careless figure skater to get away scot-free.
Many people in the Reddit post’s comments collectively agreed that the parent needs a “Lawyer ASAP.” Some people tried to blame the daughter and convince the parent that they weren’t making sure the child wasn’t straying too far from the outer circle of the rink. Even if that’s true, “A key fact is that spins where the skate is more than one foot away from the body are prohibited,” as one commenter.
Besides the name of the figure skater, the New Jersey parent didn’t get any additional information, which could definitely be an issue if they take legal action. Not to mention, they might need security footage and witnesses to attest to the woman’s negligence resulting in the daughter’s injury. Justice for the 5-year-old is what the parent and many other Redditors supporting this story want. But this might be a poor start to getting legally compensated.
