Angels sued for negligence after boy's brain injury from errant throw at Angel Stadium

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- The family of a boy struck by an errant baseball throw at Angel Stadium in 2019 is now suing the team for negligence.

Bryson Galaz was 6 years old when he was attending a pre-game event for kids before the Angels game against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 15, 2019. As he walked through the stands toward the dugout where he was going to meet players, he was struck in the head by a baseball thrown by Angels player Kenyon Middleton.

"He suffered a skull fracture, he suffered a hemorrhage on his brain," said attorney Kyle Scott, who is representing the Galaz family. "Injuries that include cognitive problems, attention problems; he's having emotional problems at school."

Scott and fellow attorney Keith Bruno held a news conference outside Angel Stadium Thursday afternoon, accusing the team of gross negligence.

After a series of fan injuries, Major League Baseball required all teams to extend the protective netting behind the plate all the way to the dugouts by the start of the 2018 season.

The Galaz family attorneys say the Angels chose not to do that until after Bryson was struck. And they say there was no reason to have pitchers throwing toward the crowd during warm ups, especially when young children were invited into that area.

"When you construct an event whereby a ball is in danger of going at a very high rate of speed at a 5-year-old's head - that is gross negligence," Bruno said at the news conference.

Eyewitness News reached out to the Angels organization. A spokesman says the team had not been notified of a lawsuit and therefore could not comment.

The Galaz's attorneys say they are seeking compensation for Bryson's injuries and medical care, but wouldn't attach a monetary value to the suit. They say the Galaz family wants to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.