Court Sees Coach as Co-Participant in Assumption of Risk Case

A California state appeals court has reversed a trial court, finding that the assumption of risk doctrine does apply in a case where a baseball coach batted a ball during a drill that hit one of his players in the face.   Significant in the court’s ruling was its determination that the coach was a “co-participant,” leading to a limited duty of care and thus triggering the applicability of the doctrine.   The incident in question occurred on July 21, 2000. Coach Joe Fonteno, the d