Man files lawsuit against L.A. Angels after suffering blindness from ball strike: “Things went horribly wrong”
A man has reportedly filed a lawsuit against the L.A. Angels almost 12 months after he suffered facial and ocular injuries from a commemorative ball striking him during a game in Anaheim.
David Mermelstein, aged 55, accompanied by his friends, attended an L.A. Angels game last June, hoping to temporarily alleviate the distress caused by recent personal adversities.
The civil complaint revealed that he had suffered the loss of his father, a Holocaust survivor, and had also received a brain cancer diagnosis around the same time.
According to the complaint lodged by the man, the situation took a drastic turn for the worse during the game.
“Things went horribly wrong” - he said in the complaint.
Following L.A. Angels' Juan Lagares' successful catch of the third out during the top of the sixth innings, the Gold Glove-winning outfielder allegedly threw the ball into the stands with significant force, apparently hitting David Mermelstein on the left side of his face and eye. The complaint states that Mermelstein was caught off guard and was unaware of the incoming ball.
According to the complaint, the individual filing the lawsuit, who was positioned in the outfield bleachers at the time, momentarily diverted their attention to enjoy some peanuts. Consequently, he had no reasonable anticipation of the baseball hurtling toward him at a considerable velocity.
In the midst of the crowd's uproar, Mermelstein became aware of the impending danger and instinctively attempted to shield himself. Unfortunately, his efforts proved futile. The ball struck his face, resulting in severe damage.
The complaint outlines that his eyeball was crushed, the globe ruptured, and internal fluid within the eye burst as a result of the impact.
Following a surgical procedure, Mermelstein claims that he experienced permanent blindness in his left eye and facial disfigurement.
The lawsuit asserts that Mermelstein already suffered from a severe degenerative vision disorder called keratoconus in his right eye, considering his left eye as his "better eye."
Mermelstein allegedly endures a constant stabbing pain in his left eye, accompanied by excessive watering, as he described.
According to the lawsuit, due to his impaired vision, Mermelstein encounters difficulties in carrying out fundamental tasks, and there is a looming risk of complete blindness in the future.
If there is no improvement in his condition, there is a possibility that Mermelstein's left eye may require complete removal.
The lawsuit argues that the act of indiscriminately throwing a baseball into a crowd is both unreasonable and unsafe.
Mermelstein is pursuing damages of an unspecified amount in his legal claim. Notably, tickets for MLB games typically include a disclaimer stating that the team holds no responsibility for injuries sustained during the course of a game.
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