IndexError: list index out of range error when appending to an empty file

I have no idea what is wrong with my program; after 1 hour of trying to fix it I have given up.

    if finalp1score < finalp2score:
        print(player2,"wins the game, with a total score of",player2bonus + player2score,"!")
    if finalp1score > finalp2score:
        print(player1,"wins the game, with a total score of",player1bonus + player1score,"!")

    with open('leaderboard.csv', 'a', newline='') as file:
        writer = csv.writer(file)
        if finalp1score > finalp2score:
                writer.writerow((finalp1score, player1))
                file.close()
        if finalp1score < finalp2score:
                writer.writerow((finalp2score, player2))
                file.close()

    def getData(filename):
        hiscores = []
        file = open(filename, "r")

        for line in file:
            user = []

            curLine = line.split(",")

            user.append(curLine[0])

            user.append(curLine[1])

            hiscores.append(user)
            sorted(hiscores)
        return hiscores

    def sortNum(data):
        return sorted(data, reverse=True)




    leaderboard = getData("leaderboard.csv")
    sorted_lb1 = sortNum(leaderboard)

    print("_______________________________________________")
    print("Leaderboard:")
    print("_______________________________________________")

    MAX = 0
    if len(sorted_lb1) > 10:
            MAX = 10
    else:
            MAX = len(sorted_lb1)

    for x in range(1,MAX):
            print(x,".", sorted_lb1[x][1],"Score: " , sorted_lb1[x][0])

and when the the leaderboard.csv file is empty it returns with:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "N:\GCSE NEA\2-player dice game.py", line 364, in <module>
    leaderboard = getData("leaderboard.csv")
  File "N:\GCSE NEA\2-player dice game.py", line 352, in getData
    user.append(curLine[1])
IndexError: list index out of range

I want the code to still work when the leaderboard.csv file is empty.