Ex-Yankee Farmhand's Suit Against White Sox Won't Be Easy

Abstract

Former New York Yankees outfielder Dustin Fowler filed suit against the Chicago White Sox and the state agency that manages Guaranteed Rate Field, alleging that both were negligent in not securing the unpadded electrical box that he collided with in his major league debut at the ballpark in 2017. Professional athletes suffering injuries during games is hardly unusual; however, it is unusual for an athlete to file a lawsuit against the opposing team afterward. In these cases, litigation is difficult because there is an inference that a professional athlete is likely aware of all of the possible injuries that may occur, and thus, assumed the risk of injury by participating in the competition.

Keywords: Fowler, White Sox, lawsuit, negligent, assumption of risk, MLB, workers' compensation