The family of San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow, the man who was beaten by Dodgers fans shortly after leaving a Dodgers-Giants game last spring, has sued the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, naming the team as well as many other entities as defendants. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages for Stow and his children.
Stow, who is still hospitalized in a coma, and his friends were allegedly harassed before, during and after the baseball game. The plaintiffs alleged that security guards ignored the taunting.
Attorney Jerome Jackson, who is representing the Dodgers and owner Frank McCourt, issued the following statement.
“Bryan Stow suffered a devastating injury at the hands of criminals who should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Since the incident, Mr. McCourt and the Dodgers have not wavered in their support of the Stow family, nor in their commitment to work with the Los Angeles Police Department to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice. But, to be clear, Mr. McCourt and the Dodgers will defend themselves against the allegations.”
The lawsuit reportedly touches on McCourt’s financial difficulties and how that led to inadequate security.
“It is unfortunate that such a storied and well-respected baseball club as the Los Angeles Dodgers has been made to suffer due to the cutbacks and mismanagement by its owner,” plaintiffs’ attorneys Thomas Girardi and Christopher Aumais, both of Los Angeles, said in a statement. They further suggested that the Dodgers might have prevented the situation by providing more security in the parking lot, barring “known criminals or gang members” from attending games, ejecting unruly patrons and promoting “responsible consumption of alcohol.”
Christopher Fusco of Callahan & Fusco, LLC found the timing of the lawsuit “curious,” stating that, “Most attorneys will wait until their clients have substantially completed medical treatment before filing suit. It is difficult to estimate right now what kind of care Stow will need for the rest of his life. Perhaps Stow’s attorneys are concerned with the Dodgers’ financial situation, or maybe they are attempting to take advantage of ownership’s vulnerable position right now, by adding the pressure of dealing with this lawsuit.”
