Sporting goods manufacturers may be hazardous to your health.
That's the word coming out of Montana as a jury found aluminum bat manufacturer Hillerich & Bradsby(maker of Louisville Slugger) liable for the 2003 death of prep baseball pitcher Brandon Patch. (Local paper's coverage of the ruling)
The crux of the prosecution's argument in civil court was that Hillerich & Bradsby failed to provide adequate warning as to the dangers of their aluminum bats. Though I'm saddened to hear of the tragedy that has befallen the Patch family, I'm not entirely sure what "adequate warning" means.
A label on the bat? A signed waiver accompanying each Louisville Slugger? A safety coordinator at each youth baseball game in the country explaining what "can happen" when a ball pings off a bat?
I'd be curious to see what you folks think. I believe this ruling could have long-lasting consequences to youth sports in this country.
I think holding the bat maker responsible for this accident is, in this case, an example of how litigious our society has become. Would an "adequate warning" have prevented the batter from stepping up to the plate with that particular bat? Or the pitcher from throwing strikes to the hitter? Would it have prevented the batted ball from going up the middle?
As long as American Legion and any other baseball league allow those bats to be used during a game, the danger of serious injury or death will be present. This was a tragic accident, but if parents and lawyers are intent on making a difference, they need to put their energies toward prevention, not monetary restitution.
The article says "A third decision was that the bat was not defective." There is no mention of the bat no longer being allowed on the field of play in that particular league. The technology to hit a baseball harder and farther will continue to advance until leagues around the country set more stringent safety standards.