Ugh

While we’re on the topic of sports…

I just came across this story at ESPN, about a family bringing suit after their son was injured in a baseball game. Bringing suit against who, I hear you asking? Why, against “the manufacturer of the bat, the store that sold it, and against Little League Baseball for giving the bat its seal of approval” of course.

I can’t even begin to describe how depressing this story is to me. First, let me be clear: I feel terrible for this family and their son. Apparently, after being struck in the chest by a batted ball, the boy’s heart stopped beating and he suffered massive brain damage. That is awful.

But how is any of this the fault of the major corporations now being sued? It’s not as though the bat manufacturers created a shoddy product that splintered upon impact or had some other defect that caused the injury. And it’s not as if the Sports Authority was selling heroin. Little League Baseball wasn’t even the league the boy was playing in when he was injured!

Again, what happened is tragic and I feel bad for the family…but tragic injuries are part of sports. Luckily they’re a freakish part of sports–It is exceedingly rare to die on the field of competition. But it’s a risk nonetheless. Neither life nor sports are risk-free activities. It’s not always someone else’s fault when you’re injured. Can we please, please get a handle on these frivolous lawsuits? And, perhaps more importantly, can we get a handle on the mindset that causes us, as a society, to reflexively look for someone to blame and a quick buck to be made when a tragedy befalls us or our loved ones?