Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
If you ask many around Chicago, one of the best things about the summertime is the start of professional baseball. Whether you root for the north or for the south, there is nothing like a day at the ballpark with family and friends.
The Cubs hosted the Miami Marlins yesterday at Wrigley Field as part of a series between the two clubs. In the top of the 6th inning, Marlins player Giancarlo Stanton stepped to the plate and swung big at a pitch. Stanton lost his grip on his bat, which flew towards the stands along the third base line. Sitting in those stands was a young boy, approximately three years old, and his family. The bat struck the young boy in the chin and struck the boy’s father in the arm leading to concern about the boy and the extent of his injuries.
After receiving first aid from the medical crew at the stadium, it was clear that the boy suffered only minor injuries and he was able to return to his seat and watch the rest of the game. Some believe that the father’s arm significantly reduced the impact experienced by the boy and saved him from more serious injury.
The nature of baseball means that home runs and foul balls often make their way into the stands, sometimes at a high rate of speed. For the majority of fans, this adds to the fun and excitement of the game and it allows those watching to grab a souvenir ball. Much less common are bats that make their way to the stands. In recent years, bats have been breaking and fracturing at a much higher rate, increasing the odds that pieces of a bat or splinters of wood will threaten fans, but whole, intact bats are lost less often.
Some areas of baseball parks are more likely to lead to errant balls and bats coming into the stands. Notably, the area behind home plate is now protected in all major league stadiums to reduce the number of fouled balls and errant throws to that area of fans, significantly decreasing the number of injuries. Yet injuries still occur in this are and in others as yesterday’s incident illustrates. Some of these incidents are mere accidents and are just part of the game while others may be the result of negligence on the part of the ballpark or the players. It depends on how an accident occurred and the facts surrounding the injury.
If you have been injured while watching a professional sporting event, you may have a claim for your damages. These cases can be very difficult and complicated so you should consider speaking with an attorney to learn if you have a claim and if so, what legal options exist.
At Abels & Annes, P.C., we are personal injury lawyers with experience representing the victims of accidents. We never charge a fee unless we make a recovery on your behalf and we offer a free case consultation to all accident victims. Our lawyers are standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take your call at (312) 924-7575 so call us and let us help you today.
Prior Blog Entries:
Family of Chicago Tour Bus Accident Victim Settles for $6.75 Million, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published August 30, 2013.
Pedestrian Deaths on the Rise Nationally, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published August 28, 2013.
Resources:
Young boy OK after being hit by errant bat at Wrigley, Chicago Tribune, published September 4, 2013.