The family of a man who suffered severe head injuries in an attack settled their lawsuit against the Los Angeles Dodgers and two fans. The suit stemmed from a fight in a parking lot outside Dodgers Stadium after a baseball game.
Neither side has revealed the details of the settlement. After an earlier incident, the Dodgers paid millions of dollars to another man who suffered traumatic brain injuries he suffered in a fight under circumstances that were in some ways comparable.
Allegations of poor lighting and bad management of workers
According to the suit, Dodgers Stadium security took several minutes to arrive at the fight’s poorly lit location close to the stadium.
The complaint accused the Dodgers organization of negligence, failure to meet its duty of care on its premises, and negligent hiring and supervision of employees. The suit also accused two fans of assault and battery and intentionally causing emotional distress.
Post-game attack leaves a man with severe injuries
It was Oct. 9, 2015, and the Los Angeles Dodgers played the New York Mets in a National League playoff baseball game. The Mets won.
A 50-year-old geologist (a Dodgers fan from two hours north in Bakersfield) attended the game with a relative who wore a Mets cap. The geologist’s wife also attended.
Close to the stadium gate and the handicapped parking area, according to the lawsuit, a 29-year-old man from Palos Verdes Estates, an hour south of the stadium, and his mother began insulting the other group.
They then physically assaulted the geologist, causing his head to strike the pavement, and then continued to beat him, according to the complaint
Criminal assault charges, then a civil lawsuit for injuries
The suit sought punitive damages and compensation, including for loss of consortium. The man’s wife says she lost her husband’s love and companionship due to his head injuries.
Attorneys for the Dodgers and the 29-year-old man and his mother claimed the other group were the aggressors. Nonetheless, a criminal court had previously sentenced the younger man to 80 days of community service, an anger management course and payment of over $100,000 in compensation to the geologist.