As you all probably already know, tragedy struck University of Notre Dame's campus last Wednesday when a student, Declan Sullivan, filming football practice died after the scissor lift he was shooting from fell over due to excessive winds. As the current investigation continues, it might be useful to note that the University of Michigan possibly negated a similar tragedy by employing a little common sense:
↵↵↵The Wolverines spent part of their practice that day inside because of the winds. When they went outside, the video coordinator went 10 to 12 feet off the ground in a hydraulic lift instead of filming the team’s practice from a higher perch.
↵Under similar conditions that day, a student videographer was killed in South Bend, Ind., when his lift toppled from a height of 40 to 50 feet while he filmed Notre Dame’s football practice.
↵At Michigan, Rodriguez said he makes the decision on whether conditions permit practice to be held outside or necessitate a move inside, and then he speaks with the video coordinator about safety.
↵
The University of Notre Dame was already going to be digging deep into their pockets for this (and jobs should be lost). If there's any doubt about it, though, looking at how other college football programs handled similar weather conditions could work heavily against any argument Notre Dame might try to use in an attempt to lower inevitable compensatory and punitive damages.
↵I think I can speak for everyone here at SB Nation Detroit, that our thoughts and/or prayers go out to this student's family and friends. This was a terrible accident that should have been prevented by Notre Dame.