Little League Baseball Settles Nutty Lawsuit

Virginia Personal Injury Attorney

8/10/2009
Ben Glass
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Little League Baseball Settles Nutty Lawsuit

The tournaments leading up to the Little League World Series have been happening all summer and the actual 16-team tournament kicks off in about 11 days. I really enjoy watching the LLWS and I'd hate to see it go which is why I'm so concerned by the latest legal news involving Little League Baseball Incorporated in which they settled a case for $125,000 up in Staten Island, NY.

The injury? Some ligament damage that a 12-year old suffered from sliding into second base. The family sued almost three years after the fact on the grounds that the coach was negligent in not teaching the kid proper sliding technique. Absolutely ridiculous. If a coach lets a kid take batting practice without a helmet then I can see a problem and certainly some negligence, but proper sliding technique? C'mon!

If coaches are going to get sued every time a player gets injured then who in their right mind is going to coach? It's hard enough as it is to get parents to take the time to coach these teams add in financial risk and watch the pool of potentials dry up.

By playing sports you assume some risk of injury, it happens. Even star athletes using perfected techniques end up injured. So why did Little League Incorporated settle? It seems like they're trying to keep that under wraps but they're only hurting themselves. If Little League Baseball Inc. doesn't fess up to why they settled such a weak case it's only going to hurt them in the long run and encourage others to file frivolous suits which can only end up causing fewer coaches, fewer teams, and less opportunities for kids to play a great game in a great environment. Your move Little League.

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1 Comments to "Little League Baseball Settles Nutty Lawsuit"

The author of this article is clearly bias. Driving a car is also a "known risk" and accidents also happen. AND just as in car accidents, sometimes people are at fault and sometimes not. This is about a training issue. You don't put someone to work on aheavey duty machinery without training them first. This kid (who's personality, charactor, and abilities we do not know) was thrust into a situation unfamiliar to him according to your article and the parents claims. I have heard that baseball is inherantly dangerous arguements before. They always seem to forget that it is not dangerous, with the proper equipment and training. The real issue with baseball is those players who are always trying to get an edge or leg up on others. Whether it's the bats, gear, steroids, or the baseball itself, we are always looking for the next great loophole or gimmick.

Posted by Steve on June 21, 2011 at 04:10 PM