Family Files Lawsuit in Metal Baseball Bat Injury

[riverdunesrat]

Family Files Lawsuit in Metal Baseball Bat Injury Case
Monday , May 19, 2008

WAYNE, N.J. —

The family of a boy who suffered brain damage after he was struck by a line drive off an aluminum baseball bat sued the bat's maker and others on Monday, saying they should have known it was dangerous.

The family of Steven Domalewski, who was 12 when he was struck by the ball in 2006, filed the lawsuit in state Superior Court. It names Hillerich & Bradsby Co., maker of the 31-inch, 19-ounce Louisville Slugger TPX Platinum bat used when Steven was hit.

The lawsuit also names Little League Baseball and Sports Authority, which sold the bat. It claims the defendants knew, or should have known, that the bat was dangerous for children to use, according to the family's attorney, Ernest Fronzuto.

"People who have children in youth sports are excited about the lawsuit from a public policy standpoint because they hope it can make the sport safer," Fronzuto said after filing the suit Monday morning. "There are also those who are skeptical of the lawsuit and don't see the connection between Steven's injury and the aluminum bat."

Little League denies any wrongdoing, as does the bat manufacturer. Sports Authority has not responded to several telephone messages seeking comment.

Steven was pitching in a Police Athletic League game when he was hit just above the heart by a line drive. His heart stopped beating and his brain was deprived of oxygen for 15 to 20 minutes, according to his doctors.

Although he was not playing in a Little League game, the organization is being sued because it gave its seal of approval to the bat, certifying it as safe for use by children, Fronzuto said.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356596,00.html]

[NYgiantsfan5689]

this is just complete BS. I know we have to sign a form saying that baseball can be dangerous whenever we join Little League or summer leagues, so the mom knew what her son was doing. Any sport is going to have its dangers, and it's not the bat to blame. Shit happens.

This is either 1) a case of a family greedily using their son's injury to get rich, or 2) a completely ignorant family that can't come to terms that they are the only ones to blame in this incident because they signed their kid up for something that has risks.

They are looking to place blame on someone else when it was a freak accident that really has no one at fault, except maybe the parents, and they refuse to accept this fact. Placing blame is what all of American society is hellbent on doing in the past few years.

[ljshorty89]

I completely agree. I don't understand how a family can be so completely paranoid and overprotective and still allow their son to play sports. Either don't let him play, or take the blame if/when he gets hurt. Society is becoming stupid, suing for everything. Just like the guy who sued when he was trying to break into a house, fell through a skylight onto a knife, and won. It's complete BS.

[love_that_reefer]

If they didn't know a bat was dangerous, give them the chair for being idiots!!

[ljshorty89]

...The sad part is, I almost agree with that, LTR

[Doro]

I don't like metal bats but I agree its BS that she is so concerned with them after the fact when she can get some money.

[redsfan28]

Garbage! Product of a sue-happy society.

I think MLBers should have aluminum bats to thwart steroid use

[brewcrewrock]

lol this is BS! why do u sign him up if it is so dangerous! I broke my leg playing cricket and once playing soccer...big deal! i dint sue! you play ar ur own risk

[Doro]

I once tore my ACL on the first base bag.............firstbase is soo dangerous! I'm sueing!!!!!

[Pronk48]

Wow, they are filing a lawsuit against the bat company?

Pitcher is probally the second most dangerous position in baseball other than catcher. If they didn't want their son getting hurt, they shouldn't have let him play baseball or made him play the outfield.

It was a freak accident, stuff happens. I feel bad about what happened to their kid, but it wasn't the fault of anyone.

And the sad part is, watch some wuss of a judge give the parents a win in the lawsuit.

[ljshorty89]

I broke my wrist retrieving a frisbee from the roof of my high school. Roofs are dangerous and bad and should be taken off every building before more people get hurt!