Seventh-Inning Stretch · Heads Up!
Distracted in the Stands
Coronel v. Chicago White Sox, Ltd. (1992)
Charge: Negligence - first-time fan struck in the jaw by a line-drive foul ball while looking down at her popcorn (suit against the club and stadium owner)Court: Appellate Court of Illinois, First DistrictDocket: Heads Up!
Can a club escape a foul-ball suit on summary judgment when the fan sat near the edge of one of the smallest screens in the majors?
The facts
In August 1986 a woman attended her first big-league game in Chicago, sitting in a box behind home plate about three seats from the edge of the protective screen. The screen was 21 feet high and about 40 feet wide, one of the smallest in the majors. In the sixth inning she looked down to get popcorn from her lap, and a line-drive foul ball broke her jaw. She claimed the club failed to provide enough screening or warnings. The trial court granted summary judgment for the club, and she appealed.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: Coronel v. Chicago White Sox, Ltd., 230 Ill. App. 3d 734, 595 N.E.2d 45 (1992)
Read more at courtlistener.com. The source reveals the outcome.