Dropping the Ball – Can Injured Boy Sue Minor League Team?
In a picnic area in the left field stands of the Albequerque Isotopes ballpark before a game, a boy was struck with a practice home run ball that fractured his skull.
Some may say it’s a risk baseball game goers knowingly take, so if an accident happens, the team is not to blame. In this particular case, however, the city of Albequerque has decided that the injured boy and his family can sue the Isotopes for damages incurred as a result of the ball that struck him.
There’s a widely accepted ‘baseball rule’ stating that ballparks cannot be held responsible for fan injuries as long as they have protective nets in place behind home plate, however New Mexico is a state that has not adopted this rule.
According to a New York Times article, New Mexico has ruled that the boy and his family can file a lawsuit against the minor league ball club – for the permanent brain damage their injury lawyer alleges his client suffers.
