Foul Ball
Laura Kerod had great seats.
She and her husband Kevin were cheering for their local New Jersey minor league baseball team—the Trenton Thunder —sitting enviably close to the dugout.
Ms. Kerod turned to check the score board, then turned back. “And boom, it hit me,” she said of the foul ball that slammed into her face, ripping her lip, shattering her teeth, and fracturing her palate.
Between doctor visits and surgeries, the Kerod’s started contacting politicians and circulating a petition, advocating for changes that would make a trip to the ballpark safer, including more protective netting and medical coverage for injured spectators.
To which baseball officials replied, read your ticket—there’s an inherent risk from stray bats and balls that’s spelled out and also announced before each game.
But baseball has a special appeal to families, countered Mr. Kerod. Kids and parents don’t read their tickets at the baseball stadium. “Families should be able to go there and feel safe,” Mr. Kerod said. “When you go there, you see police, and they’re protecting you from terrorism. Who is protecting us from bats and balls?”
Another New Jersey baseball fan disagreed. “With great seats comes great responsibility” he stated. “You, the spectator, must take personal responsibility for your safety.”
Tell us what you think—should the responsibility for such a serious injury be the responsibility of the fan? Does America’s favorite pastime need to be made safer for the people sitting in the seats?
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Comments
She should be at fault.
The lady who got hit is clearly at fault. At all professional baseball events, their are signs which clearly note to watch out for flying objects such as bats and balls.
matt mac | 1 year, 7 months ago
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Get a grip!
If you go to a baseball game, there is a chance (albeit small) of being hit by a foul ball, a bat etc. That is a chance you take! Don’t want to take that chance? Stay home! Netting is provided behind home plate with good reason because of the great frequency and speed of foul balls hit straight back. Personally, I HATE sitting behind that netting because it interferes with my view. What should we do? Encase all fans behind Plexiglas? I am sick to death of whining people looking for someone to blame and someone to pay for every chance occurrence. It was an accident…unfortunate, but an accident. If I was judge or juror in a case like this I would throw it out or vote it down without question!
Frank Lowell | 1 year, 7 months ago
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Oh really?
I am 56 and have been to many baseball games. While there is ALWAYS netting behind home plate I have NEVER seen any behind dugouts, nor should there be any.
Frank Lowell | 1 year, 7 months ago
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Not in the majors but little league games have fences like this…
Mr. Met | 1 year, 7 months ago
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Little League
is a different story…too many little kids running around not paying attention…I understand it there, but at a major or minor league game sit in seats where you feel safe and pay attention if you are sitting close to the field.
Frank Lowell | 1 year, 7 months ago
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Curious...
You have obviously never been to a hockey game!…This can of course be turned into an overall discussion about “safety” and what that means to people in this country…The Insurance industry for all intents and purposes would prefer you not do anything, go anywhere or participate in any activity with out reading the fine print on the dangers, risks, pitfalls and general disaster that will occur. But reality is actually not aligned with the business of fear and the safety measures that must be taken to quell that fear.
It is very unfortunate that this woman was hit by the ball and the physical and emotional impact it has had on her life, but quite simply she was unlucky that day…Any number of a million things could have happened to her prior to the game and in one swift moment of bad luck she got hit.
Now, this society has been brainwashed into believing that every risk to life limb or the pursuit of happiness must be accounted for and prevented somehow and if for any reason it is not then and injustice has been perpetrated and someone must pay.
Now of course there should be reasonable accountability to each other to not create an environment that is unnecessarily risky, but like everything in life just getting up the morning and lasting the whole day is a measure of good luck
Ben B | 1 year, 7 months ago
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NHL Hockey
A few years ago a father was taking his young daughter to her first NHL game. The puck managed to strike her in the head, despite the fact that the rink was surrounded by a Plexiglas shield. This puck strike killed the girl.
I suppose no matter the precautions that we try to take, accidents will occur.
Neil Leibowitz | 1 year, 7 months ago
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There's an idea
As an avid baseball fan since childhood, I have seen my share of foul ball blunders.
The idea of the fan wearing a mask is GREAT!!! No one would think it vastly strange any more than fans who wear game shirts, gloves and hats!
The best blunder was one was where the man was walking down the steps watching where he was going but not where the ball was going. Right into one the cups of beer he was taking back to his seat. It could easily have been his face or something tenderer and easily damaged.
Read your ticket, watch the action in the game and go home safe! Don’t spill your coffee and get burned or whatever….have fun. That’s what it’s there for!
Les Smith | 1 year, 7 months ago
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Fontana
Sorry Ben B., I disagree with one thing, insurance companies don’t care about you or me, they act like it, but if it wasn’t for humans getting themselves hurt they would be out of the job.
Kina Barnum | 1 year, 6 months ago
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Protect the Public
In reply to all the comments listed so far. I have some of my own observations.
All of you are admitting that there is a public safety issue here. You want it to be at your own risk. Pay attention. No one is trying to point the finger of blame, just trying to correct a known safety hazard.
Minor league baseball stadiums are a miniature version of the major leagues. Some people like you are aware of the risk, you are familiar with baseball, others are first time attendees and they are not aware.
Baseball is a 19th century sport and this is the 21st century. They need to protect the general public. There is no reason the public should be under such assumed risk. If your family member had been and is still going thru the absolute pain caused by attending, maybe you would not be so selfish. Children are at risk even more. They generally are not paying attention and are unaware. Thousands of children are attending on field trips every summer and most of the supervisors are themselves kids. Minors should not be allowed in the stands unless behind safety screens. There is no law suit at work here. The New Jersey Baseball Spectator Safety Act of 2006 is the law which prohibits lawsuit. It was written to protect the owners of these stadiums and not the spectators as the title implies. There is no time to react even if you are paying attention to the game depending on where you are seated. Accidents at these parks are not a freak thing, they are consistent. A program on Easter Day on MSG TV “Famous Sports Injuries” showed that the pitcher was hit in the face 55 feet away in 0.3 seconds at more then 120mph and at a force of 5700 lbs/sq in. The third base bag is 90 feet away and the spectators are then 0.6 seconds away. Why is a private organization allowed to have such high risk compared to any other amusement park in N.J. I can tell all of you are concerned with your fellow human being.
There has been no real public debate on this issue. The NJ Legislators approved this 76-0 without any debate on it. Corporate baseball lobbied NJ legislators for this bill which implies spectator safety. They advertise for families to attend, yet if you are seriously injured they want nothing to do with you. They are not interested in changing the way baseball has operated and now have total immunity of liability because our New Jersey legislators passed the “New Jersey Baseball Spectator Safety Act of 2006”. This law was in direct response to a man who was hit at the Newark Bears game while waiting in line at the concession stand. He has severe nerve damage in his neck. The NJ Supreme Court came down on his side and said that he had every right to feel safe while purchasing his beverage. So, the corporate baseball owners lobbied our legislators and had this law written. The title of the law implies safety for spectators but when you read it, it only provides protection for the owners of these minor league teams. They no longer have any incentive to improve the safety of their facilities. In New Jersey, every company is required to document injuries at their facility and post the data for public viewing. Why is baseball exempt from documenting spectator injuries? When a member of the general public visits a hazardous area at a company they are required to be protected by personal protective equipment. Why is baseball not required to protect the general public with safety screening. If not many people are being hurt at their events, then why don’t they pay for the injuries of the spectators injured by bats and balls due to the game?
Selfishness is the reason, tracking and reporting injuries, safety netting and limiting minors to stay behind it is the answer. Not lawsuits.
Kevin Kerod
Kevin Kerod | 1 year, 6 months ago
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