Joliet Slammers Sued After Child Struck in the Head with a Baseball

It used to be that you could not sue baseball teams for injuries that occurred with foul balls striking onlookers. Every individual in the stadium assumed the risk of being struck by a baseball simply by attending the game. However, more effort has been placed into protecting fans from foul balls in recent years, and these efforts have renewed lawsuits against baseball teams.

The Joliet Slammers are no stranger to personal injury lawsuits. The team is embroiled in another negligence lawsuit involving a spectator being seriously injured by a high-speed baseball. The latest lawsuit was filed last week on behalf of a child who was hit in the head with a baseball during the May 24 game at Duly Health and Care Field.

The child was at the Slammers game for a school field trip on May 24, 2023 when he was struck in the head by a baseball. The batter hit a line drive that struck the plaintiff in the forehead. After an initial delay, the plaintiff was taken by ambulance to Silver Cross Hospital and then later transported to Lurie’s Children’s Hospital in Chicago for brain surgery. His attorney said that the boy is recovering from his injuries.

“An avoidable tragedy” 

An attorney for the plaintiff characterized the event as an “avoidable tragedy.” “Owners and operators of ballparks in this day and age should be acutely aware of the dangers of balls and bats flying into the stands and causing spectator injuries. This is especially true with respect to Duly Health Care Field, as it was only about 8 months before this incident that another spectator at a Slammers game … sustained serious injuries when a bat flew into the stands and hit him.”

At that point, no changes to the netting were made after the man who was struck by the bat was injured. Attorneys for the plaintiffs have requested information concerning any changes that were made after the bat incident. They have yet to receive a reply.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff was sitting along the first base line when he was hit in the face by a line drive. This caused a brain injury. At that point, the Joliet Slammers had already suffered an injured spectator. They did nothing to increase the netting to protect fans from foul balls. The lawsuit claims that the netting protecting spectators from foul balls was tapered and stopped at the dugout down the right field line. This left spectators potentially vulnerable to foul balls hit up the first base line. Had the team extended the netting, the plaintiff would have likely not been injured by the foul ball. But they failed to act.

Talk to a Danville, IL Personal Injury Lawyer Today 

The Danville personal injury lawyers at Patel Law, PC represent the interests of those injured due to negligence. Call our office today to schedule a consultation, and we can begin investigating your injuries and the events surrounding them right away.

Source:

patch.com/illinois/joliet/joliet-slammers-sued-again-child-suffers-brain-injury-lawyer