Recently your Charleston brain injury lawyers have been keeping up with the developments in the case of a baseball fan brutally beaten by opposing fans after Opening Day at Dodger Stadium. The incident occurred back in March when a San Francisco Giants fan was returning to his car after a game when he was attacked by two L.A. fans, causing serious injuries from which the San Fran fan is still recovering.
The 42-year-old victim remains in critical condition, but is stable and under heavy sedation, a measure taken by his physicians to prevent seizures caused by the traumatic brain injury he suffered Opening Day. But, there has been some good news for the family and the L.A.P.D., one of the suspects in the attack was arrested last weekend. The 31-year-old man has not yet had charges filed against him and police are still searching for another male attacker and a woman who is suspected of driving the two men away from the scene.
Now, the family of the Giants fan has sued the Dodgers Organization and their owner, claiming security cutbacks made by the organization were, in part, to blame for the vicious attack on their loved one. The lawsuit filed in L.A. Superior Court contends the Dodgers were negligent by not providing enough security and not having adequate lighting in the parking lot where the unprovoked beating occurred.
The lawsuit comes at an awful time for the Dodgers Organization, as the team has recently been taken over by Major League Baseball (MLB) because of the financial insecurities the franchise has faced, in part because of a divorce between the team’s owner and ex-wife. Officials for MLB aren’t sure if the organization has enough money to make payroll at the end of this month.
The lawsuit filed against the franchise brings these financial issues to the forefront, noting the mismanagement of the organization since the current owner’s purchase of the team in 2004, and the reduction in security during games since said purchase. The lawsuit claims that the organization knew this decrease in security forces and uniformed officers patrolling Dodger Stadium would lead to an increase in criminal activity on the property.
Also according to the lawsuit, the victim in this case was repeatedly taunted during the game. Granted the victim was wearing Giants gear in Dodger Stadium, but there remains a titanic difference between having peanuts thrown at you in the stands by opposing fans and being beaten with punches and kicks in the parking lot after the game. The suit mentions that ejection of disorderly fans, refusing known criminals and/or gang members entry into games, and the promoting of responsible alcohol consumption could have been safety measures implemented to prevent the attack, in addition to better security and lighting. The lawsuit also notes the a half-off beer promotion at Dodger Stadium was terminated after the attack.
This is not the first instance of violence and serious injuries at Dodger Stadium. In September 2003 a Giants fan was shot and killed in the parking lot. The shooter was sentenced to 50 years to life for the first-degree murder of the 25-year-old Giants fan. Also, in April 2009 there was a stabbing in the stadium parking lot after the home opener.
For your South Carolina spinal injury attorneys these and the current issues are unfortunate to discuss as the Dodgers, even before they made the move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, have been one of professional baseball’s greatest teams.