Jury Rejects $2M Lawsuit (Softball Player Broke Leg) - MatcomNews Update

[matcom]

<snip>

Two and a half years after a controversial play at the plate, it took a six-member jury to make the call.

Acting as umpires yesterday, jurors declared that a collision during a Garden City men's over-35 softball game that left one player injured was a clean play.

In a September 2001 game, catcher Michael Licitra broke his left leg in a collision with John Knowles, a base runner who was trying to score.

Licitra, 44, of Garden City, sued Knowles for $2 million in damages, claiming that he violated the village league's "Pete Rose" rule, which prohibits intentional collisions with fielders in possession of the ball. The rule is named for a play in the 1970 All-Star Game, in which Rose flattened catcher Ray Fosse, whose career was never the same.

Much of the testimony in the four-day trial centered on the manner in which Knowles slid or dove and on what angle -- details that many witnesses had trouble remembering clearly so long after the game.

After hearing testimony from both players, two of Licitra's teammates and the game's umpire, who said the slide was within the rules, the jury delivered a unanimous verdict for the defense.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-liball0720,0,5885961,print.story?coll=ny-homepage-big-pix

[HuckleB]

1. Well, that's good.

It's still scary that this wasn't tossed out as frivolous from day one. The guy's comment about trusting in the jury system because of this verdict doesn't comfort me. This seems like a scary precedent for abuse of a system meant to deal with true wrongs. So much for the social aspect of community sports leagues.

[wtmusic]

2. Yep

Shit happens. There is danger in sports. Case closed. Next?

[pat1962]

3. Oh well

When you sign up to play rec softball you sign a waiver stating that the league is not responsible for any injury that you suffer. Also if the Umpire felt that the slide was legal that should have been the end of the matter.