Family sues LA Angels after stray ball fractures Latino boy’s skull

At that time, the pitcher of Los Angeles AngelsKeynan Middleton lobbed a ball at high speed in Bryson’s direction, hitting him on the left side of the skull.

Middleton is known for throwing fastballs at over 100 miles per hour.

The impact of the pitch caused a fracture in Bryson’s skull and bleeding in his brain.

The little boy suffered disabling traumatic brain injuries, physical pain, emotional suffering and mental anguish. He was treated on an emergency basis at Kaiser Hospital; and later transferred to Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

“For three days, we didn’t know if my son was going to live or die,” said Beatrice Galaz, Bryson’s mother.

“We are relieved that he survived, but since that day he has struggled at school. He is just not the same.”

Since the pitch, Bryson has had trouble paying attention in school and with social interaction.

Medical tests have revealed abnormal brain activity, raising concerns about her long-term development, especially as school subjects become more complex.

It should be noted that all 30 Major League Baseball clubs were required to extend the safety net at least to the end of the dugouts before the 2018-2019 season.

Nevertheless, the angels they fell behind the rest of MLB by choosing not to extend safety nets beyond the dugout until the 2020-21 season.

“The team’s approach to safety and this injury has been overwhelmingly cavalier,” said Kyle Scott, an attorney for the family.

“For months we tried to contact the angels regarding this matter, but they completely ignored the family and the plight of a child who almost died. They created a hazard that has had serious implications and they must take responsibility for their actions.”

For his part, Nick Rowley, founder of the organization Trial Lawyers for Justiceexplained that the team the angels Invite kids to show up before games to meet the players.

“Children are directed to a specific location, which is dangerous and puts them at risk of facial fractures and brain injuries because fastballs are thrown in their direction,” he said.

“It is a reckless practice and unlike other teams, Los AngelsThey didn’t extend the protective netting that should have been there to protect kids, even after Major League Baseball warned them of this very danger.”

He argued that at the stadium the angelsthe game of win or lose, is not only on the field but also in the stands, since the absence of adequate protections means that permanent or even fatal injuries can occur at any time.

“The child that we defend did not go to the game to put himself at risk. His near-fatal, permanent brain injury is not something he or his parents have signed up for.”

Los Angeles spokeswoman Marie Garvey said they could not comment on the lawsuit; and at the time the incident was reported in the press, they had no knowledge of the litigation.

It is pertinent to clarify that pitcher Middleton is not a party to the lawsuit; and at the end of the 2020 season, he left the team the angels when they refused to offer him a new contract. It is now released with the Diamondbacks of Arizona, a minor league baseball team.

At the time of the pitch, the player went to help the minor when he saw him crying, and then people from the team asked for help.

Attorney Scott said an officer contacted the family after the incident via email, but when they asked for help paying medical bills, they did not respond.

In the lawsuit filed this month in Orange County Superior Court, the family alleges the team could have done more, putting up a net along the sides of the field; while they argue that players should not throw balls during warm-up sessions in areas where fans can be hit, especially when the team encourages them to arrive early to meet team members.

With the lawsuit, the family primarily seeks compensation for medical expenses.