Boston Celtics Champs! 8 Arrests, Officer Injured

The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks last night at TD Garden to win their 18th championship. The Celtics now have the most titles in NBA history. They just edged out their arch nemesis, the LA Lakers, who have 17 titles. Jaylen Brown took home the NBA Finals MVP award. This was a proud moment for Jaylen, who had historically been Robin to Jason Tatum’s Batman,. This has been the case since the duo entered the league just one year apart in 2016 and 2017.

The duo made the Eastern Conference Finals 5 times in their first 7 years together. However, they could not get past Lebron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers, and only beat Jimmy Butler’s Miami Heat in one out of three tries. In 2022, when they did beat the Heat, Brown and Tatum fell to Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. There discussions about breaking up the pair. Many thought they could not get over the hump. Last night, those critics were proved wrong.

After the final buzzer, loyal Celtics fans poured into the streets of Boston to celebrate. Viral clips circulated throughout social media of fans singing “Sweet Caroline.” Boston fans engaged in their fair share of mischief. Several people climbed (and fell) from poles. 8 people were arrested for disturbing the peace and trespassing. No destruction of property was report (this is Boston, not Philadelphia after all). However, one police officer was injured in the chaos.

Firefighter’s Rule:

Massachusetts, like most jurisdictions, follows the “Firefighter’s Rule.” This legal doctrine prohibits firefighters and police officers from bringing a third-party claim for injuries sustained in the line of the duty. The theory is that firefighters and police officers assume the risk of being injured on the job. This is due to the inherent danger of their professions.

The police officer would be entitled to collect Worker’s Compensation for his/her injuries. Worker’s Compensation covers an employee’s medical expenses, plus 60% of their lost wages, and gives compensation for a permanent injury. Worker’s Compensation law is “no-fault.” Provided that the injury occurred on the job, the injured worker would be able to recover. No fault applies regardless of whether someone else is negligent. The caveat is that the injured worker is prohibited from suing his employer directly if they caused the injury. The injured worker’s only remedy is to seek worker’s compensation benefits which is an insurance claim.

Any worker who’s injured on the job can collect worker’s compensation. The main difference between a plumber and a firefighter or police officer is that if a third-party caused the injury, the plumber could bring a third-party claim in addition to collecting worker’s compensation benefits. The worker’s compensation carrier who paid for the medical bills, lost wages, and permanency award would have a lien against a potential settlement against a third-party.

Sadly, firefighters and police officers don’t have that option under the Firefighter’s Rule. At our firm, we have nothing but the utmost respect for firefighters and police officers who keep us safe.

In any event, the duck boats will be ready to go for the victory parade on Friday. Let’s go Celtics!

Eight arrested, officer injured in Celtics championship celebration (boston.com)

Do you remember celebrating the Celtics’ 1986, 2008 championships? (msn.com)

‘Let’s go!’: Celtics fans take over Boston to celebrate NBA Finals win (msn.com)

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