The LA Dodgers has settled the Los Angeles injury settlement filed by Stephen Suarez. The baseball fan broke his neck on October 12, 2008 when a drunken man fell on him from an upper deck at Dodger Stadium. At the time, Suarez and his brother, Alex Suarez, were watching the League Championship Series game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Dodgers. The terms of the settlement are confidential.
The Los Angeles personal injury lawsuit, filed by Suarez and Alex, accused the Dodgers of premises liability, negligence, and the infliction of emotional stress. The brothers says there was inadequate security at the stadium and that the Dodgers should have "secured" the premise by making Pete La Rosa, the fan who was drunk, leave. They contend that La Rosa drank 10 beers, six tequila shots, and smoked a marijuana cigarette before and during the game. La Rosa fell on Suaraz after stepping over the loge level's short railing, waving his baseball cap in the air, and losing his balance.
Suarez broke his sixth and fourth vertebrae. His brother Alex says he suffered emotional trauma from seeing his brother get hurt.
Lawyers for the Dodgers say the accident was "unforseeable." However, the Los Angeles premises liability settlement was reached just as arguments were about to be heard in court over whether the lawsuit should be dismissed.
California Premises Liability
The owners, managers, and those responsible for large venues and events must make sure there aren't any hazards or dangerous conditions on a premise that could cause serious injuries or death to spectators and others on the premises. Examples of California personal injury accidents that can occur at sport venues, musical halls, and other public arenas:
• Getting trampled by the crowd
• Sexual or physical assault
• Murder
• Injuries from '"crowd surfing"
• Slip and fall
• Falls from elevated heights
• Parking lot injuries
Dodgers Settle Suit with Man Who Suffered Broken Neck During Game, NBC LA, April 19, 2011
Dodgers Ask Lawsuit Of Drunken Patron Breaking Neck Be Dismissed, Beverly Hills Courier, April 4, 2011
Related Web Resources:
Los Angeles Dodgers
Premises Liability, Nolo
More Blog Posts:
Bret Michaels Files Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawsuit Against CBS and Tony Award Productions, California Injury Lawyers Blog, March 27, 2011
Man Stabbed to Death at Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa Hotel on New Year's Day, California Injury Lawyers Blog, January 7, 2011
$5M Los Angeles Wrongful Death Claim Filed in Teen's Ecstasy Overdose at Electric Daisy Carnival, California Injury Lawyers Blog, January 3, 2011
