As Florida sports fans may know, a man who was badly beaten at Dodger Stadium recently won a negligence suit that was filed against the Dodgers in a Los Angeles civil court. During proceedings, the Dodgers argued that the man was intoxicated when the beating occurred and was partly responsible for the incident. This defense was rejected.
The jury’s verdict found that the man suffered approximately $18 million in lost wages, pain and suffering and medical expenses. However, the Major League Baseball team was only required to pay $15 million, and the verdict may be appealed. The Dodgers, the jury said, were partly responsible for what happened and shared responsibility with the two attackers. The attackers were not named in the suit and were not required to make any payments. The jury absolved Frank McCourt, the former owner of the Dodgers who was also named in the suit, of negligence and liability.
The incident happened in a parking lot at Dodger Stadium at the opening game in 2011 between the San Francisco Giants and the Dodgers. The man, a Giants fan, was beaten in the parking lot by two men and was rendered disabled due to brain damage suffered in the incident. According to testimony, the man will not be able to work in the future and suffers from seizures and strokes due to his injuries. Witnesses testified that security was not present in the parking lot, but security has since been increased at the stadium.
A property owner is responsible for the safety and security of individuals entering the premises. Premises liability lawsuits may be filed when inadequate lighting and security personnel result in injury to an individual. As in this case, the injured individual may seek compensation for damages from the liable party.
Source: FOX News, “Dodgers found partly responsible for severe beating of San Francisco Giants fan“, July 09, 2014
