Boy's Skull Fractured Before Angels Game, Lawsuit Claims

ANAHEIM, CA — The family of a boy who fractured his skull at Angel Stadium by an errant pitch is suing the Los Angeles Angels, claiming the team was negligent in not protecting fans.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from the team, including compensation for medical costs incurred by the family to treat the skull fracture and the loss of future earnings.

The family claims in its suit that the Angels organization does not do enough to protect fans from getting hit by baseballs as players warm up before a game.

The team should extend protective netting along the side of the baseball field and prohibit players from throwing balls before the games in areas where a fan could be hit, the suit said.

An Angels spokesperson told the Associated Press that no one reached out to the organization regarding the lawsuit and was only made aware of it by the news media.

The lawsuit said the then 6-year-old boy was at the stadium with his father on Sept. 15, 2019. Before the start of the game, the two were walking toward the Angels' dugout when the boy was struck in the head by a ball thrown by pitcher Keynan Middleton.

The boy spent three days in the hospital after being hit, the lawsuit said.

The now 9-year-old boy recovered from the incident, but the family's lawyer, Kyle Scott, said during a press conference on Thursday he has issues with paying attention and interacting with people.

Scott said medical examinations showed the boy has abnormal brain activity, which could impact his long-term development.

Beatrice Galaz, the boy's mother, said the incident changed her son.

"We’re grateful that he pulled through, but since that day, he has struggled in school," she said in a statement. "He's simply not the same."