New Hampshire Hockey Referee Sues Over Carbon Monoxide Leak

A former ice hockey referee is suing a New Hampshire rink owner over a carbon monoxide leak two years ago that he says made him sick.

The Portsmouth Herald reports that Thomas Madden’s lawsuit in the Rockingham Superior Court says he was refereeing a hockey game between Winnacunnet and Merrimack high schools when he was poisoned by a carbon monoxide leak at The Rinks at Exeter. Three people were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Madden’s attorney Justin Nadeau says The Rinks at Exeter was negligent by failing to prevent the toxic buildup of carbon monoxide. He says 52-year-old Madden has required hospitalization, surgery and has permanent disabilities.

Donald Perrault, who represents the insurance carrier for The Rinks, says he understands that Madden has made “a very good recovery.”