Parent sues Bat Company

I feel bad for the kid but suing the bat company and store doesn't fix the problems.
I am surprised they didn't sue the family of the boy who hit the ball.
 
I envision this sort of lawsuit eventually ending all sports that we love to follow. If a football helmet manufacturer, a bat manufacturer, baseball company, a few others, are put out of business by lawsuits, the games will end.
 
They go after the deepest pockets.

No one forced their kid to sign up for baseball. If the bat manufacturer and sporting goods store forced their kid to play, then they've got a reason to sue. But not for the accident that happened. Because that's what it was.
 
Another example of what is wrong with America today.

Louisville Slugger is a outstanding, family owned company that has been around for 124 years.
flag.gif
 
I'd like to see the parents fined for suing and forced to do 100 hours of community service for wasting the court's time.

hookem.gif
 
If this were the parents initial reactions no one would have a problem. If it has been long enough to get lawyers involved then someone needs to step back and think rationally.

If they had a problem with the bats then he shouldn't have been playing. Before long all coaches will have to wear helmets because some guy got run over being out on the football field and people want pay back which just happens to always be from the person or group with the most money.
 
I agree with yall, but I will say there has been some history of limitations put on these bats for player safety. The distances of the players in little league and the speed the ball comes off the bats are pretty dangerous.
 
I would have to see the details, but I am having trouble visualizing the basis for the suit. Exactly what are they suing FOR? Obviously, they think the bat hits the ball too hard, but if the bat was within league specs then where is their liability.

I guess I could see a suit against LL overall for allowing a "hot" bat. I feel horrible for the kid, as most of us would, but I don't see this going anywhere.
 
Yes, probably not a suit that will succeed. However, (trying to imagine a plausible scenario) what if they are suing to bring attention to the fact that the bat is too "hot" for 12-year olds? That it needs to be dampened because the pitchers are too close to the plate. I could understand why they'd want to sue for those reasons, especially if they'd tried telling the league and the manufacturer that and gotten told to go away. They may truly feel that they are doing this to possibly save someone else's son in the future.

And no, there is no suing the glove maker because he was pitching and the ball hit him in the chest before he could raise his glove.

Now, before y'all jump all over me saying "Typical lawyer response," that scenario (an altruistic motive for litigation) is not unheard of in the legal system. In my 10+ years in litigation I have seen almost a dozen cases brought where the plaintiffs really didn't care about the money, they just wanted things "fixed" so that others (usually children) would not be harmed/damaged.
 
College baseball has a rule about bats, they must be deadened to somewhat replicate the force wooden bats impart. There are only certain models from different manufacturers allowed. This is still true, I believe (?).
Maybe Little League has no such rule, and the parents are trying to force the league into a similar rule. Just looking at the other side.
But in football, I think there is now only one company that makes helmets. If there is a lawsuit every time there is a head injury, how long will the company continue to make helmets? What would happen should they bow out of the market?
 
Nearly all baseball tort cases are thrown out, and summary judgment is granted to the Defendants...

Whether its a fan getting hit by a ball. bat, or something happening in the game.

Hard to get around the "assumption of risks inherent in baseball". Unless someone attacks someone and goes beyond the norm of a typical baseball game, tort cases are usually dead ends.

I am sure this is going to extend to any sort of product liability, negligence, etc against these companies. You know what you are getting, and you are assuming the risk.
 
Play on words - baseball injury; "bunt" impact?

"He suffered commotio cordis, a rare condition cause by bunt impact to the chest during the millisecond between heartbeats,"
 
This is tragic, but accidents of this nature are very rare. If this were not the case, I can assure you that Pony and Little League Baseball would further restrict bats through something like limiting the bat length and weight or adjusting the bat equivalent (or exit) speed rating specificiation (BESR). The bat shown in the article is standard and used by thousands of kids. Suing the bat manufacturer is misplaced. Now, if Plaintiff can come up with statistics and documentation to show that the bat manufacturer has information that their bat was unreasonably dangerous and they disregarded the warnings and failed to act, Plaintiff may have a case. I seriously doubt there is substantial basis for this suit other than sympathy for the child.

The chance of a hard-hit line drive hittiing an infielder (I assume he was playing an infield position) before he can react is a real concern on the small (45-foot base path) diamond particularly if the players are not of similar talent. Big, strong kids hitting a standard Little League baseball with an aluminum bat can put a ball in your grille real quick, especially if the child is not of average or better talent and playing pitcher or third base. In the league my children played in, we had a varsity level below major division for 11 and 12-yr-olds who were not sufficiently equipped to handle and weren't drafted to the higher level but nonetheless wanted to play ball.
 
T- he was pitching.

And trust me, I'm not trying to implicate anyone. I was simply putting forth some possible explanation to show that they might have a reason for the suit other than money.
 
Having coached youth baseball for a number of years, I'd be the first to say that there isn't enough consideration given to player safety.

Let's start with Tee Ball. The leagues I've seen don't regulate where the "pitcher" stands. I wouldn't let my son's first coach play him at pitcher because that coach was so concerned about dribblers turning into base hits that he had the pitcher stand in front of the mound. I saw one big fat kid hit a line drive inches from some clueless pitcher's head. The pitcher didn't even come close to reacting to the ball. And yes, the metal bat had something to do with it because the ball came off that bat so hot that it landed past 2nd base while never being more than 5 feet off the ground.

I've seen coaches tell third basemen of limited skill to creep far beyond their comfort zones on tiny little league diamonds.

I've seen coaches switch catchers without regard to whether the new kid is wearing a cup.

I've seen home runs hit by kids that would have been easy outs with a wood bat. I've seen older kids play in wood bat tournaments, and the decreased speed of the ball off the bat is very noticeable. The infielders in those games say it's similar to fielding grounders in thicker grass.

I've seen leagues run by people who don't seem to understand the danger of overusing young arms, and I've seen coaches in those leagues have pre-teens throw far too many pitches because "they haven't maxed out on innings yet."

I've seen leagues forced by insurance companies (I presume) to use RIF (Reduced Injury Factor) balls, but they choose the hardest RIF balls for Tee Ballers because they are the most realistic, and "goddamnit, those kids will learn real baseball in this league." I've been hit by those balls, and I can assure you that they can still do some damage to a kid's face.

I've seen little league fields with playground equipment just off the first and third base lines so the little pre-schoolers have a place to play as long as they are quick enough to duck away from a screamer ripped over the fence. I saw one ball hit squarely on a swing seat that would have killed any toddler sitting in it.

I've seen uncovered sprinkler heads in the outfields. Mickey Mantle would certainly approve.

I've seen fences designed by idiots who leave a clear opening by the dugout through which a low foul ball can find a victim.

I've seen pro baseballers at the Alumni games pick up an aluminum bat just for kicks and hit balls that college players couldn't react to. As I recall, the Texas coaches put a stop to that quite a few years ago.

I've seen lots of accidents waiting to happen, most of which are very predictable and preventable.

But, hey, that's baseball.

P.S. - I'm a long-time member of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, so I'm not particularly fond of our tort system. Some lawsuits are unfortunately necessary, although I agree that the net is usually cast too far.
 
This says it all, "He suffered commotio cordis, a rare condition cause by bunt impact to the chest during the millisecond between heartbeats." It has nothing to do with the bat. Freak accident could have happened with a wooden bat or whatever material you want to use.
 
Right about the time my son started in Tee Ball there was a Tee Ball "pitcher" who was killed when he was hit in the chest. Sounds like it could be the same thing.
 
There is no cause against the bat company. If the parents want change, they need to sue whatever organization the child was playing for, PONY, Little League, etc. They approve bats, and though some times they approve based on parent body organizations such as ASA, they still bear the weight of the decision.

And this comes from the father, coach, board member, of a PONY affiliated softball league who's daughter has played in the league since age 4.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top