The family of beaten Giants fan BRYAN STOW yesterday filed suit against the Dodgers and Owner FRANK MCCOURT, "claiming they were partly to blame for the attack" Stow suffered after the season opener March 31 between the two teams, according to C.J. Lin of the L.A. DAILY NEWS. The suit contends that the Dodgers were "negligent by failing to provide adequate security and lighting in the parking lot" where Stow was attacked. The suit said that "the 'obvious tensions' and 'clear signs of intimidation' prompted Stow to send a text message to a relative saying he feared for his safety," and that it "took security guards 10 to 15 minutes to respond to the melee." The suit said that McCourt's "mismanagement of the team and personal financial woes prompted the Dodgers to reduce stadium security as a cost-saving measure." The Dodgers "declined to comment on the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages." Lin notes the suit "names a host of Dodgers and McCourt entities as defendants, but not JAMIE MCCOURT" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 5/25). The suit noted that fans "ejected from the stadium during the game for being drunk or belligerent are left in the parking lot, making the area even more dangerous" (L.A. TIMES, 5/25). Dodgers and Frank McCourt attorney JEROME JACKSON in a statement said that the team "would fight the lawsuit" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 5/25).
STAPLES CENTER SUIT: In L.A., Blankstein & Winton reported the family of LUCAS TANG has filed suit against Staples Center Owner AEG "alleging that a poorly designed barrier led to" Tang's death last year. Tang, who was two years old at the time, "died after plunging at least 30 feet from a luxury box at Staples Center." The plaintiffs "allege that the dangerous condition was allowed to persist because the arena would make more money if fans had an unobstructed view of the game." Tang's death was the "first fatality of its kind at the arena." The suit names AEG and Staples Center operator L.A. Arena Co. "as defendants in connection" with Tang's death (LATIMES.com, 5/24).
