Baseball Injury Lawsuits – You Can Win Them; Here’s How
Baseball is often hailed as the ‘American Pastime.’ But in the blink of an eye, this ‘fun’ sport can turn dangerous, or even deadly.
I used to play baseball in middle school. Every summer, I’d report to my coach on the field to start the year’s training. We would throw balls, catch grounders, conduct batting-practice, run laps… all of the ‘normal’ things that happen at baseball practice.
But once, I almost got a very serious injury. We were playing close to dark, and the lights weren’t fully turned on yet.
My teammate threw a fastball at me during warmup, and I missed it. It struck me in the cheek, just below my eye socket.
Thankfully, it didn’t really ‘injure’ me. But what if it had?
Would I have had any recourse for seeking a legal settlement, perhaps due to negligence?
Maybe a more serious question needs to be asked.
Who is at fault when such accidents occur?
In some cases, accidents are simply that… accidents.
But in some cases, negligence plays a larger role. And in such cases, speaking to a lawyer may be the only way to get relief from crazy expensive medical bills that could plunge your entire family into debt.
One Injured College Baseball Player Won A Settlement For Injuries – Here’s His Story
In Concord, N.H., a lawsuit filed by a student against Dartmouth College begged an answer to this exact question. And apparently, the case was legitimate enough that the defendants settled out of court.
According to news sources, Colton French was pitching to a batter in a narrow indoor enclosure (this was back in 2016). This was the first time that French had ever used the tall L-shaped screen designed to protect the pitcher.
After one of his pitches, the batter hit the ball back, and it flew straight into French’s face. According to the news stories, French had failed to pull his head back behind the shield in time.
The ball crushed his eye socket and broke bones.
He ended up losing vision in that eye, and had to miss the rest of the school year due to the many surgeries and medical treatments the injury required.
According to sources, the medical bills alone added up to more than $430,000. It was also shown that he would never again be able to work at a job that required peripheral vision, depth perception, or an acute ability to visualize minute details.
He also needed counseling for depression in the aftermath of the injury.
While the specific amount paid out wasn’t reported, the case did settle out of court.
Had Colton French not been appropriately trained on how to use the L-shaped shield?
Had he received proper instruction, could this incident have been prevented?
Coaches and faculty have a responsibility to make sure that a certain level of safety is maintained. And if this proper level isn’t met, it’s possible that negligence could become a dangerous factor.
Don’t Suffer Alone
At the end of the day, if you’ve been injured while playing baseball, you need to figure out if negligence was at play.
If it was, then you’re probably eligible for financial compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain, suffering, and other losses.
But the only way to know for sure if you may have a case is to reach out and talk to an attorney.
A lawyer can help you to figure out if you may have a case; and if so, what steps should be taken next to make sure that you receive the fair, just compensation you deserve.
