According to a new lawsuit, former Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler threw a ball into the crowd, causing a woman to sustain a “excruciating injury” to her eye. Following the incident in which the woman claims she was struck by the ball during Game 3 of the 2021 World Series, the Braves and Soler himself are named in the Georgia lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, on October 29, 2021, the woman, her husband, and her brother-in-law were seated in Section 109 in the right-field corner of Truist Park in Atlanta. Soler is charged with throwing the ball into the crowd and hitting the woman before the fifth inning even begins. The lawsuit was obtained by McClatchy News from WSB. The lawsuit was submitted to Cobb County Superior Court on October 25.
According to the lawsuit, Soler threw the ball “with great force, speed, and intensity” toward the woman, striking her in the right eye. She claimed that she was struck before she had a chance to respond. The lawsuit claims that “extensive and excruciating injury” was caused by the impact. She was escorted by security to a medical facility, where her injuries were photographed and recorded in a report.
As per the lawsuit, the injuries sustained were “multiple fractures, a right eye edema, and infra-orbital abrasion.” She claims that her wounds will necessitate ongoing medical attention. The woman accuses the Braves of negligence as well. She was unaware of the “danger posed by the intentional and reckless conduct of Defendant Braves’ baseball players in between innings,” the lawsuit claims. The Braves could not be reached for comment at this time by McClatchy News.
Baseball teams have been sued by fans who were hurt by foul balls. But according to The New York Times, professional sports teams have depended on the “Baseball Rule,” which is the risk that spectators assume when they attend games. That assumption of risk may not apply because the ball was thrown by a player and was not a foul ball.
After the Braves defeated the Houston Astros in six games, Soler was named the World Series Most Valuable Player. Soler is a player for the Miami Marlins right now. The Marlins were contacted by McClatchy News for comment, but they did not respond right away. According to Forbes, the woman’s husband is also suing for loss of consortium, a legal theory that applies to personal injury cases involving the loss of “benefits that a familial or intimate relationship offers.” This can apply to love, friendship, and intimate sexual relations. Both punitive and compensatory damages are sought by the couple.
