A family is suing the LA Angels for negligence after a six-year-old boy was struck by a stray ball in the stands, suffering brain damage and a fractured skull as a result. In 2019, Bryson Galaz was walking with his father in the first row of Angel Stadium ready to watch an Angels match.
The players were also in the first row conversing with fans over an hour and half before the game. During the warm-up Angels pitcher Keynan Middleton threw a ball to a teammate who missed the catch, and the ball proceeded to strike the youngster.
According to the lawsuit filed at the Orange county superior court this month, the family claim more netting should have been in place along the sides of the field to protect fans from potential injury. They also believe players should not throw the ball during warm up sessions in an area of the field where spectators are at risk of being hit.
Kyle Scott, the family’s lawyer described how Bryson was immediately taken to hospital and was in a critical condition. He was then taken to a children's hospital for further evaluation for two and a half days.
Bryson has been said to struggle with his concentration in school and has difficulty with social interaction. “For three days, we didn’t know if my son was going to live or die,” Bryson’s mother, Beatrice Galaz, said in a statement. “We’re grateful that he pulled through, but since that day he has struggled in school. He’s simply not the same.”
Scott claimed that the Angels could have prevented the situation by asking players to throw the ball in such a way that it did not endanger the fans behind them.
“All they had to do was change their formation,” Scott said. “It’s not unforeseeable that somebody is going to miss a ball, and it’s going to be thrown hard enough to hurt somebody.” The Angels have declined to comment on the matter.
Scott claimed the 2002 World Series champions sent an email to the Galaz family following the unfortunate incident, but when the family replied asking for assistance with medical bills, the club did not respond.
Middleton is not a target in the lawsuit and is reported to have checked on Galaz after the incident and the team called for help. The player left the Angels as a free agent in 2020 and he is now pitching in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ minor league system.
