WESTFIELD, New Jersey — A family from Westfield has taken legal action against a New York baseball park, alleging negligence resulting in a 12-year-old boy sustaining a child brain injury during a youth baseball game on February 22, 2024.
According to the lawsuit, Anthony Labin was playing in a game at Cooperstown Dreams Park in July 2022 when he was hit in the head by a ball while pitching in the fifth inning. The lawsuit claims that Anthony collapsed on the field and remained unresponsive. The family accuses Cooperstown Dreams Park of allowing the use of unregulated aluminum and composite bats and organizing matches between teams of varying skill levels.
David Buchanan, the attorney representing the family, stated, “Cooperstown Dreams Park’s emphasis on high-scoring games and home runs fostered an environment where players were frequently exposed to perilous situations on the field, exacerbated by the absence of staff with adequate medical or first aid training.”
The lawsuit alleges that Anthony remained on the field for a considerable duration before any staff member arrived to offer assistance, and asserts that the park’s staff lacked sufficient medical or first aid training. Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that the park’s director of operations instructed both teams to continue playing after the incident, although the players declined, leading to the suspension of the game.
As a result of the injury, Anthony spent five weeks in the hospital and suffered a traumatic brain injury, as stated in the lawsuit.
Ron Labin, Anthony’s father, expressed, “The circumstances leading to our son’s severe injuries could have been easily prevented if Cooperstown Dreams Park prioritized the safety of its young players. While we are grateful that Anthony survived, he will grapple with the consequences of Cooperstown’s decisions for the remainder of his life. We aim to prevent any other family from enduring a similar ordeal.”
